PICKET! 
AND  HIS  MEN 


LASALLE  CORBELL  PICKETT 

(MRS.  GEN.  GEORGE  E.  PICKETT) 


SECOND  EDITION 


ATLANTA,  GA. 

THE  FOOTE  &  DAVIES  COMPANY 

PRINTERS  AND  BINDERS 

1900 


COPYRIGHT,  1899, 
BY  LASALLE  CORBELL  PICKETT. 


All  riff  Jits  reserved. 


DEDICATION. 

To  my  husband,  the  noble  leader  of  that  band  of  heroes  whose  deeds 
are  sparkling  jewels  set  in  the  history  of  the  great  Army  of  Northern  Vir 
ginia,  I  would  gladly  inscribe  this  book  —  to  him  alone,  to  whom  my  life 
has  been  dedicated;  but  remembering  how  often,  in  the  humility  of  his 
great  soul,  he  has  said,  "I  did  not  do  it  — my  men  did  it  all,"  I  feel  that 
he  would  be  better  pleased  to  know  that  the  brave  men  whom  he  led 
through  those  four  long,  dark  years  have  held  a  high  place  in  my  thought 
as  I  have  written.  Hence  — 

To  the  men  of  Pickett's  Division,  who  yet  clasp  hands  with  me  in 
the  friendship  that  was  cemented  in  blood  to  grow  stronger  through  all 
the  passing  years,  and  to  the  memory  of  those  who  have  gone  from  our 
sight  to  be  ever  present  in  our  hearts  and  on  the  most  glorious  page  of 
our  country's  history,  this  volume  is  lovingly  dedicated. 


M~~ 


PREFACE. 


Why  do  I  write  this  book?  To  add  my  tribute  to  the 
memory  of  my  hero  husband  and  the  noble  men  who  fol 
lowed  him  through  the  trials,  dangers  and  hardships  of  a 
four  years'  war.  The  impulse  which  moves  me  is  love, 
and  I  have  endeavored  that  nothing  should  be  written  un 
worthy  of  that  motive.  If  anything  expressed  or  implied 
shall  give  pain  to  any,  whether  he  wore  the  gray  or  the 
blue,  it  is  contrary  to  the  purpose  or  the  wishes  of  the 
author  —  contrary  to  the  chivalrous  soul  of  the  soldier 
and  patriot,  George  E.  Pickett,  whose  courage  and  con 
stancy  this  work  is  intended  to  commemorate. 

In  the  compilation  of  this  record  the  reader  must  know 
that  I  could  not  bring  personal  witness  to  the  events  de 
scribed.  They  are  based  upon  the  official  and  other  re 
ports  of  eye-witnesses  and  participants.  In  treating  of 
the  maneuvers  and  engagements  herein  mentioned,  I  have 
excluded  every  disparaging  statement  which  the  facts  of 
history  and  justice  to  all  participants  would  possibly  per 
mit.  I  have  purposely  avoided  reading  histories  of  the 
conflict  by  authors  on  both  sides,  and  based  my  own  nar 
rative  upon  original  material,  to  avoid  the  possibility  of 
traveling  over  ground  already  covered  by  others. 

Upon  the  battle-field  I  visited  last  year  grew  a  wonder 
ful  wealth  of  white  daisies,  piled  drift  upon  drift  like  the 
ba^nks  of  snow  that  glitter  in  the  light  of  the  winter  sun. 
So  blossom  the  flowers  of  peace  and  love  and  hope  in  the 
hearts  which  yet  fondly  cherish  the  memory  of  the  long- 
gone  days  of  darkness  and  of  blood. 


VIII  PREFACE. 

Though  the  dream  nation  about  which  Clustered  so 
many  beautiful  visions  will  never  take  its  place  among 
the  courts  and  powers  of  the  world;  though  the  ideal 
which  led  the  South  through  efforts  of  heroism  not  sur 
passed  in  all  the  records  of  the  world  will  never  be  crys 
tallized  into  that  reality  known  to  mortal  eyes,  yet  in  that 
higher  realm  of  thought,  where  the  ideal  is  the  true  real, 
it  dwells  in  transcendent  glory  which  transmutes  into  a 
golden  veil  of  light  the  war-clouds  by  which  it  was  en 
shrouded. 

That  dream  nation  did  not  crumble  into  ruins  and  fade 
away  into  naught.  The  setting  sun  reflected  from  its 
gleaming  minarets  makes  more  radiant  the  light  by  which 
our  united  country  marches  on  its  way  to  national  glory 
The  bells  in  its  towers  ring  out  a  paean  to  swell  the  grand 
symphony  which  circles  the  world. 

The  gallant  sons  of  heroic  fathers  who  fell  on  battle 
fields  of  North  and  South  now  stand  together  to  defend 
our  common  country.  Side  by  side  North  and  South  are 
marching  against  the  foe;  step  by  step  they  keep  time 
to  the  mingled  notes  of  "The  Star-Spangled  Banner"  and 
"Dixie,"  blending  into  the  noblest  battle-hymn  that  ever 
thrilled  the  heart  of  soldier  to  deeds  immortal. 

Three  phases  of  loyalty  sway  the  Southern  heart  to 
day —  loyalty  to  memory,  loyalty  to  present  duty,  loyalty 
to  hope.  There  is  no  rivalry  among  these  phases  of  the 
same  noble  sentiment.  Together  they  work  for  the  evolu 
tion  of  a  regenerated  nation.  He  who  is  untrue  to  the 
past  is  recreant  to  the  present  and  faithless  to  the  future. 

LASALLE  CORBELL  PICKETT. 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C., 

August  15,  1898. 


CONTENTS. 


CKAPTEK.  PAGE. 

I. — THE  FALL  OF  RICHMOND 1-9 

II. — ANXIETY,  SUSPENSE,  LONELINESS 10-16 

III. — "WHOA,  LUCY" 17-21 

IV. — GEORGE  JUNIOR'S  FIRST  GREENBACK 22-28 

V. —  "  SKOOKUM  TUM-TUM  " 29~33 

VI. — CARPET-BAG,  BASKET  AND  BABY 34-46 

VII. — "  EDWARDS  is  BETTER  " .  47-51 

VIII. — ONE  WOMAN  REDEEMED  THEM  ALT 52-60 

IX. — A  FAMILIAR  FACE 61-66 

X. — VISITORS,  SHILLING  A  DOZEN  —  OUR  LEFT-HANDERS  67-76 

XI. — BORN  WITH  EMERALDS  —  NEMO  NOCETUR    .      .      .  77-85 

XII.— TURKEY  ISLAND 86-89 

XIII. — MEXICAN  AND  INDIAN  WARS 90-98 

XIV. — SAN  JUAN 99-110 

XV. — SAN  JUAN  CONTINUED 111-125 

XVI. — PICKETT'S  WEST  POINT  APPOINTMENT  AND  MILITARY 

SERVICES  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  ARMY       .      .  126-129 

XVII. — SLAVERY 130-138 

XVIII. — SECESSION ,      .  i39~I53 

XIX. AT  YORKTOWN  AND  WlLLIAMSBURG 154-161 

XX.— SEVEN  PINES 162-174 

XXI. — GAINES'S  MILL 175-186 

XXII. — FRAZIER'S  FARM 187-190 

XXIII. — SECOND  MANASSAS 191-194 

XXIV. — ANTIETAM 195-204 

XXV. — REORGANIZATION 205-211 

XXVI. — PICKETT'S  GENERALS 212-218 

XXVII.— FREDERICKSBURG 219-232 

XXVIII.— " DOGS  OF  WAR"  IN  LEASH 233-235 

XXIX. — FORAGING  EXPEDITION  —  SUFFOLK 236-239 

XXX. — CHANCELLORSVILLE 240-249 

XXXI. — THE  HIGH  TIDE  OF  THE  CONFEDERACY    .      «,      .      .  250-256 

XXXII.— PENNSYLVANIA  CAMPAIGN 257-266 


CONTENTS. 


XXXIII. — GETTYSBURG  —  FIRST  DAY        .      .      .      .         *.      .   267-279 

XXXIV. — GETTYSBURG  —  SECOND  DAY 280-292 

XXXV. — GETTYSBURG  —  THIRD  DAY 293-309 

XXXVI.— WHERE  WERE  THE  GUNS? 310-314 

XXXVII. — DETAILED  FOR  SPECIAL  DUTY 3*5-323 

XXXVIII. — TWICE  TEARS  TO  SMILES 324-329 

XXXIX. — NEWBERN 330-336 

XL. — PICKETT'S  VOLUNTARY  DEFENSE  OF  PETERSBURG    .   337-344 
XLI. — A  STRANGE  BIRTHDAY  CELEBRATION        ....   345-351 

XLII. — COLD  HARBOR 352-356 

XLIII. —  "LEE'S  MISERABLES  " 357-361 

XLIV. — THE  BERMUDA  HUNDRED  LINES 362-370 

XLV. — THE  PEACE  COMMISSION  —  THE  LAST  REVIEW  OF 

PICKETT'S  DIVISION 371-378 

XLVI. — ON  TO  DINWIDDIE  COURT-HOUSE 379-384 

XLVII.— FIVE  FORKS .      .   385-398 

XLVIII. — SAILOR'S  CREEK 399-407 

XLIX. — THE  BLUE  AND  THE  GRAY 408-422 

APPENDIX 425-429 

INDEX 431-439 


INTRODUCTION. 


The  distinguished  subject  of  these  memoirs  I  first 
met  as  a  cadet  at  West  Point  in  the  heyday  of  his  bright 
young  manhood,  in  1842.  Upon  graduating  he  was  as 
signed  to  the  regiment  to  which  I  had  been  promoted, 
the  Eighth  United  States  Infantry,  and  Lieutenant  Pickett 
served  gallantly  with  us  continuously  until,  for  merito 
rious  service,  he  was  promoted  captain  in  1856.  He  served 
with  distinguished  valor  in  all  the  battles  of  General 
Scott  in  Mexico,  including  the  siege  of  Vera  Cruz,  and 
was  always  conspicuous  for  gallantry.  He  was  the  first  to 
scale  the  parapets  of  Chapultepec  on  the  I3th  of  Septem 
ber,  1847,  and  was  the  brave  American  who  unfurled  our 
flag  over  the  castle,  as  the  enemy's  troops  retreated,  firing 
at  the  splendid  Pickett  as  he  floated  our  victorious  colors. 

In  memory  I  can  see  him,  of  medium  height,  of  grace 
ful  build,  dark,  glossy  hair,  worn  almost  to  his  shoulders  in 
curly  waves,  of  wondrous  pulchritude  and  magnetic  pres 
ence,  as  he  gallantly  rode  from  me  on  that  memorable 
3d  day  of  July,  1863,  saying  in  obedience  to  the  impera 
tive  order  to  which  I  could  only  bow  assent,  "I  will  lead 
my  division  forward,  General  Longstreet."  He  was  de 
voted  to  his  martial  profession,  tolerating  no  rival  near 
the  throne,  except  the  beautiful,  charming  and  talented 
lady,  whose  bright  genius  and  loyal  heart  have  penned 
these  memoirs  to  her  noble  soldier  husband,  and  who, 
since  he  left  her,  has  fought,  single-handed  and  alone,  the 
battle  of  life.  Of  her  and  other  ex-Confederate  widows 
it  can  be  said  that  they  have,  since  the  war  between  the 

XI 


XII  INTRODUCTION. 

States,  fought  as  fierce  battles  as  ever  their  wjirrior  hus 
bands  waged,  for  in  the  silent  passages  of  the  heart  many 
severer  battles  are  waged  than  were  ever  fought  at  Get 
tysburg. 

George  E.  Pickett's  greatest  battle  was  really  at  Five 
Forks,  April  I,  1865,  where  his  plans  and  operations  were 
masterful  and  skilful,  and  if  they  had  been  executed  as 
he  designed  them,  there  might  have  been  no  Appomat- 
tox,  and  despite  the  disparity  of  overwhelming  numbers, 
a  brilliant  victory  would  have  been  his,  if  reinforcements 
which  he  had  every  reason  to  expect  had  opportunely 
reached  him;  but  they  were  not  ordered  in  season  and 
did  not  join  the  hard-pressed  Pickett  until  night,  when 
his  position  had  long  since  been  attacked  by  vastly  su 
perior  numbers  with  repeating  rifles. 

He  was  of  an  open,  frank  and  genial  temperament,  but 
he  felt  very  keenly  the  distressing  calamities  entailed 
upon  his  beloved  Sunny  South  by  the  results  of  the  war, 
yet  with  the  characteristic  fortitude  of  a  soldier,  he  bowed 
with  resignation  to  the  inevitable,  gracefully  accepted  the 
situation,  recognized  the  duty  of  the  unfortunate  to  ac 
cept  the  results  in  no  querulous  spirit,  and  felt  his  obliga 
tion  to  share  its  effects. 

No  word  of  blame,  or  censure  even,  of  his  superior  offi 
cers  ever  escaped  Pickett's  lips,  but  he  nevertheless  felt 
profoundly  the  sacrifice  of  his  gallant  soldiers  whom  he 
so  loved.  At  Five  Forks  he  had  a  desperate  but  a  fight 
ing  chance,  and  if  any  soldier  could  have  snatched  victory 
from  defeat,  it  was  the  intrepid  Pickett,  and  it  was  cruel 
to  leave  that  brilliant  and  heroic  leader  and  his  Spartan 
band  to  the  same  hard  straits  they  so  nobly  met  at  Gettys 
burg.  At  Five  Forks  Pickett  lost  more  men  in  thirty 
minutes  than  we  lost,  all  told,  in  the  recent  Spanish- 
American  war  from  bullets,  wounds,  sickness  or  any 


INTRO  D  UCTION. 

other  casualty,  showing  the  unsurpassed  bravery  with 
which  Pickett  fought,  and  the  tremendous  odds  and  in 
superable  disadvantages  under  and  against  which  this  in 
comparable  soldier  so  bravely  contended;  but  with  George 
E.  Pickett,  whether  fighting  under  the  stars  and  stripes  at 
Chapultepec,  or  under  the  stars  and  bars  at  Gettysburg, 
duty  was  his  polar  star,  and  with  him  duty  was  above  con 
sequences,  and,  at  a  crisis,  he  would  throw  them  over 
board.  Fiat Justitia,  pereat  mundus. 

11  Green  be  the  turf  above  thee, 

Friend  of  my  better  days! 
None  knew  thee  but  to  love  thee, 
Nor  named  thee  but  to  praise.  " 

JAMES  LONGSTREET. 

GAINESVILLE,  GEORGIA, 

October  12,  1898. 


PICKETTAND  HIS  MEN. 


CHAPTER  I. 

'    j  J     /    ^     O    O  0  .»      >     ' 

THE    FALL    OF    RICHMOND. 

When  some  one  applied  to  President  Lincoln  for  a 
pass  to  go  into  Richmond,  he  gravely  replied: 

"  I  don't  know  about  that;  I  have  given  passes  to  about 
two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  men  to  go  there  during 
the  last  two  years,  and  not  one  of  them  has  got  there 
yet/' 

Some  of  those  passes  had  been  used  and  their  bearers 
had  arrived  at  last,  having  made  the  slowest  time  on  rec 
ord  since  the  first  camel  bore  the  pioneer  traveler  over 
an  Oriental  desert.  The  queen  city  of  the  South  had 
fallen.  The  story  of  the  great  nation  which  had  hovered 
upon  the  horizon  of  our  visions  had  been  written  out  to 
its  last  sorrowful  word. 

On  the  morning  of  Sunday,  April  2,  in  the  holy  calm 
of  St.  Paul's  Church,  we  had  assembled  to  ask  the 
great  Father  of  heaven  and  earth  to  guard  our  loved 
ones  and  give  victory  to  the  cause  so  dear  to  us.  Sud 
denly  the  glorious  sunlight  was  dimmed  by  the  heavy 
cloud  of  disappointment,  and  the  peace  of  God  was 
broken  by  the  deep-voiced  bells  tolling  the  death-knell  of 
our  hopes. 

There  was  mad  haste  to  flee  from  the  doomed  city. 
President  Davis  and  his  Cabinet  officers  were  in  the 


2  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

41 

church,  and  to  them  the  news  first  came.  They  hurried 
to  the  State-house  to  secure  the  Confederate  archives  and 
retreat  with  them  to  some  place  of  safety. 

Fear  and  dread  fell  over  us  all.  We  were  cut  off  from 
our  friends  and  communication  with  them  was  impossible. 
Oyr/sqldierS  might  have  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the 
eheiny^we'knew  not.  They  might  have  poured  out  their 
Kffi-'bJoo'd  An  tfre  battle-field  —  we  knew  not.  In  our  help 
less,  6!eserte"a!'  condition,  all  the  world  seemed  to  have 
been  struck  with  sudden  darkness. 

The  records  having  been  secured,  an  order  was  issued 
to  General  Ewell  to  destroy  the  public  buildings.  The 
one  thing  which  could  intensify  the  horrors  of  our  posi 
tion —  fire  —  was  added  to  our  misfortunes.  General  J.  C. 
Breckenridge,  our  Secretary  of  War,  with  a  wider  hu 
manity  and  a  deeper  sense  of  the  rights  of  his  people, 
tried  in  vain  to  have  this  order  countermanded,  knowing 
that  its  execution  could  in  no  way  injure  or  impede  the 
victorious  army,  while  it  would  result  in  the  ruin  of  many 
of  our  own  people.  The  order  was  carried  out  with  even 
a  greater  scope  than  was  intended. 

The  Shockoe  warehouse  was  the  first  fired,  it  being  re 
garded  as  a  public  building  because  it  contained  certain 
stores  belonging  to  France  and  England.  A  breeze 
springing  up  suddenly  from  the  south  fanned  the  slowly 
flickering  flames  into  a  blaze  and  they  mounted  upward 
until  they  enwrapped  the  whole  great  building.  On  the 
wings  of  the  south  wind  they  were  carried  to  the  next 
building,  and  the  next,  until  when  the  noon  hour  struck 
all  the  city  between  Seventh  and  Fifteenth  streets  and 
Main  street  and  the  river  was  a  heap  of  ashes. 

Still  the  flames  raged  on.  They  leaped  from  house 
to  house  in  mad  revel.  They  stretched  out  great  burning 
arms  on  all  sides  and  embraced  in  deadly  clasp  the 


THE  FALL  OF  RICHMOND.  3 

stately  mansions  which  had  stood  in  lofty  grandeur  from 
the  olden  days  of  colonial  pride.  Soon  they  became  tow 
ering  masses  of  fire,  fluttering  immense  banners  of  flame 
wildly  against  the  wind,  and  fell,  sending  up  myriads  of 
fiery  points  into  the  air,  sparkling  like  blazing  stars 
against  the  dark  curtain  that  shut  out  the  sky. 

A  stormy  sea  of  smoke,  wave  upon  wave,  surged  over 
the  town  —  here  a  billow  of  blackness  that  seemed  of  suf 
focating  density  —  there  a  brilliant  cloud,  shot  through  and 
through  with  arrows  of  crimson  fire.  The  cruel  wind 
swept  on,  and  the  magnificent  ocean  of  smoke  and  flame 
rolled  before  it  in  surges  of  destruction  over  the  once 
fair  and  beautiful  city  of  Richmond. 

The  terrified  cries  of  women  and  children  arose  in 
agony  above  the  roaring  of  the  flames,  the  crashing  of 
falling  buildings,  and  the  trampling  of  countless  feet. 

Piles  of  furniture  and  wares  lay  in  the  streets,  as  if  the 
city  had  struck  one  great  moving-day,  when  every 
thing  was  taken  into  the  highways,  and  left  there  to  be 
trampled  to  pieces  or  buried  in  the  mud. 

The  government  stores  were  thrown  out  to  be  de 
stroyed,  and  a  mob  gathered  around  to  catch  the  liquors 
as  they  ran  in  fiery  rivers  down  the  streets.  Very  soon 
was  drunkenness  added  to  the  confusion  and  uproar 
which  reigned  over  all.  The  officers  of  the  law,  terror- 
stricken  before  the  reckless  crowd,  fled  for  their  lives. 
The  firemen  dared  not  make  any  effort  to  subdue  the 
flames,  fearing  an  attack  from  the  soldiers  who  had  exe 
cuted  the  order  to  burn  the  buildings. 

Through  the  night  the  fire  raged,  the  sea  of  darkness 
rolled  over  the  town,  and  crowds  of  men,  women  and  chil 
dren  went  about  the  streets  laden  with  what  plunder  they 
could  rescue  from  the  flames.  The  drunken  rabble  shat 
tered  the  plate-glass  windows  of  the  stores  and  wrecked 


4  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

everything  upon  which  they  could  seize.  The  populace 
had  become  a  frenzied  mob,  and  the  kingdom  of  Satan 
seemed  to  have  been  transferred  to  the  streets  of  Rich 
mond. 

About  nine  o'clock  Monday  morning  a  series  of  terrific 
explosions  startled  even  ears  which  would  seem  to  have 
endured  every  possible  vnriety  of  painful  sounds.  Every 
window  in  our  home  was  shattered,  and  the  old  plate-glass 
mirrors  built  into  the  walls  were  broken.  It  seemed  as  if 
we  were  called  upon  to  undergo  a  bombardment,  in  addi 
tion  to  all  our  other  misfortunes,  but  it  was  soon  ascer 
tained  that  the  explosions  were  from  the  government 
arsenal  and  laboratory,  which  had  now  been  caught  by 
the  flames.  Fort  Darling  and  the  rams  were  blown  up. 

Every  bank  was  destroyed,  the  flour-mills  had  caught 
fire,  the  War  Department  was  in  ruins,  the  offices  of  the 
Enquirer  and  Dispatch  had  been  reduced  to  ashes,  the 
county  court-house,  the  American  Hotel,  and  most  of  the 
finest  stores  of  the  city  were  ruined.  The  Presbyterian 
church  had  escaped.  The  flames  seemed  instinctively  to 
have  avoided  Libby  Prison,  as  if  not  even  fire  could  add 
to  the  horrors  of  that  gloomy  place. 

While  the  flames  were  raging  in  full  force  the  colored 
troops  of  General  Weitzel,  who  had  been  stationed  on  the 
north  side  of  the  James,  a  few  miles  from  Richmond,  en 
tered  the  city.  As  I  saw  th^ir  black  faces  shining  through 
the  gloom  of  the  smoke-environed  town,  I  could  not  help 
thinking  that  they  added  the  one  feature  needed,  if  any 
there  were,  to  complete  the  demoniacal  character  of  the 
scene.  They  were  the  first  colored  troops  I  had  ever  seen, 
and  the  weird  effect  produced  by  their  black  faces  in  that  in 
fernal  environment  was  indelibly  impressed  upon  my  mind. 

General  Weitzel  sent  Major  A.  H.  Stevens,  of  the 
Fourth  Massachusetts  Cavalry,  and  Major  E.  E.  Graves, 


THE  FALL  OF  RICHMOND.  5 

of  his  staff,  at  the  head  of  a  hundred  mounted  men,  to 
reconnoiter  the  Richmond  roads  and  works.  At  the  forti 
fications  beyond  the  junction  of  the  Osborne  turnpike 
and  New  Market  road  they  were  met  by  a  flag  of  truce 
waved  from  a  dilapidated  old-fashioned  carriage  drawn 
by  a  pair  of  skeleton-like  horses.  The  truce  party  con 
sisted  of  the  Mayor  of  Richmond,  Colonel  Mayo; 
Judge  Meredith,  of  the  Supreme  Court;  Judge  Lyons,  a 
representative  man  of  Virginia,  and  at  one  time  minister 
to  England;  and  a  fourth,  whom  I  do  not  now  recall. 

The  carriage  was  probably  in  the  early  part  of  the 
century  what  might  have  been  called,  if  the  modern  clas 
sic  style  of  phraseology  had  prevailed  at  that  time,  a 
"tony  rig."  At  the  period  of  which  I  write,  it  had  made 
so  many  journeys  over  the  famous  Virginia  roads  that  it 
had  become  a  sepulchral  wreck  of  its  former  self. 

There  may  have  been  a  time  when  the  reminiscences  of 
animals  that  dragged  out  from  the  burning  capital  the 
ruins  of  the  stately  chariot  were  a  span  of  gay  and  gal 
lant  steeds,  arching  their  necks  in  graceful  pride,  champing 
their  bits  in  scorn  of  the  idea  that  harness  made  by  man 
could  trammel  their  lofty  spirits,  pawing  the  earth  in  dis 
dain  of  its  commonplace  coarseness.  If  so,  the  lapse  of 
years  and  an  extended  term  of  Confederate  fare  had  re 
duced  those  noble  coursers  to  shambling  memories. 

This  dignified  body,  thus  borne  in  impressive  man 
ner  along  the  highway,  had  in  custody  a  piece  of  — 
parchment,  shall  I  say?  Yes,  if  I  wish  to  preserve  the 
historic  dignities,  after  the  manner  of  my  good  friend, 
Judge  Lyons.  Should  I  yield  to  the  mandates  of  historic 
truth,!  should  be  compelled  to  state  that  it  was  a  frag 
ment  of  —  wall-paper. 

What  of  it?  The  chariot  of  state  might  be  the  wreck 
of  former  grandeur,  the  horses  might  be  the  dimmest  of 


0  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

(tt) 

recollections,  the  official  parchment  might  be  but  a  torn 
bit  of  wall-paper,  turned  wrong  side  out  for  convenience 
in  writing.  Was  not  Judge  Lyons  still  Judge  Lyons  —  a 
member  of  Old  Dominion  aristocracy  —  a  former  minister 
to  the  court  of  St.  James?  With  all  the  cold  and  stately 
formality  with  which  he  might  once  have  presented  to 
the  Queen  of  England  a  representative  of  1'ie  wealth  and 
culture  of  his  nation,  he  "had  the  honor"  to  introduce 
his  companions  to  Major  Stevens,  and  if  there  was  any 
lack  of  dignity  in  the  manner  in  which  the  aforesaid  slip 
of  wall-paper  was  conveyed  to  that  probably  astonished 
officer,  it  was  from  no  failure  of  duty  on  the  part  of  him 
upon  whom  yet  rested  some  shadow  of  the  royal  glory 
which  pervaded  the  court  of  St.  James.  Upon  the  un 
adorned  side  of  the  wall-paper  were  inscribed  these  words: 

It  is  proper  to  formally  surrender  to  the  Federal  authorities  the 
city  of  Richmond,  hitherto  capital  of  the  Confederate  States  of  America, 
and  the  defenses  protecting  it  up  to  this  time. 

Major  Stevens  courteously  accepted  the  surrender  on 
behalf  of  his  commanding  general,  to  whom  the  docu 
ment  was  transmitted,  and  proceeded  to  reduce  the  newly 
acquired  property  to  possession  by  valiantly  fighting  the 
flames  which  were  sturdily  disputing  ownership  with  him. 

Having  utilized  to  good  effect  what  little  remnant  of 
the  fire  department  he  could  find,  he  ordered  the  stars 
and  stripes  to  be  raised  over  the  Capitol.  Two  soldiers 
of  the  Fourth  Massachusetts  Cavalry,  one  from  Company 
E  and  one  from  Company  H,  mounted  to  the  summit  of 
the  Capitol  and  in  a  few  moments,  for  the  first  time  in 
more  than  four  years,  the  national  flag  fluttered  unmo 
lested  in  the  breezes  of  the  South.  The  stars  of  the 
Union  were  saluted,  while  our  "warrior's  banner  took  its 
flight  to  meet  the  warrior's  soul." 


THE  FALL  OF  RICHMOND.  J 

That  flag  which  almost  a  century  before  had  risen 
from  the  clouds  of  war,  like  a  star  gleaming  out  through 
the  darkness  of  a  stormy  night,  with  its  design  accredited 
to  both  Washington  and  John  Adams,  was  raised  over 
Virginia  by  Massachusetts,  in  place  of  the  one  whose 
kinship  and  likeness  to  the  old  banner  had  never  been 
entirely  destroyed. 

In  March,  1861,  the  Confederate  Congress  adopted 
the  stars  and  bars  —  three  horizontal  bars  of  equal  width, 
the  middle  one  white,  the  others  red,  with  a  blue  union 
of  nine  stars  in  a  circle.  This  was  so  like  the  national 
flag  as  to  cause  confusion.  In  1863  this  flag  was  replaced 
by  a  banner  with  a  white  field,  having  the  battle-flag  (a 
red  field  charged  with  a  blue  saltier  on  which  were 
thirteen  stars)  for  a  union.  It  was  feared  that  this  might 
be  mistaken  for  a  flag  of  truce,  and  was  changed  by  cov 
ering  the  outer  half  of  the  field  with  a  vertical  red  bar. 
This  was  finally  adopted  as  the  flag  of  the  Confederate 
States  of  America. 

Richmond  will  testify  that  the  soldiers  of  Massachu 
setts  were  worthy  of  the  honor  of  first  raising  the  United 
States  flag  over  the  Capitol  of  the  Confederacy,  and  will 
also  bear  witness  to  the  unvarying  courtesy  of  Major 
Stevens,  and  the  fidelity  with  which  he  kept  his  trust. 

It  has  seemed  appropriate  that  I  should  begin  my 
story  with  the  burning  city,  for  fire  has  followed  me  all 
my  life.  My  story,  I  say?  Semmes  has  said:  "To 
write  history  we  must  be  a  part  of  that  history,"  My 
story  has  been  so  closely  allied  with  that  of  Pickett 
and  his  division  that  it  does  not  seem  quite  an  in 
trusive  interpolation  for  me  to  appear  in  the  record  of 
that  warrior  band.  How  could  I  tell  the  story,  and 
the  way  in  which  that  story  was  written,  and  not  be  a 
part  of  it? 


5  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

Kindled  by  the  vandal  hand  of  General  Butler,  in  re 
taliation  for  the  telegram  which  General  GTrant  sent  to 
President  Lincoln  —  "Pickett  has  bottled  up  Butler  at 
Bermuda  Hundred" — fire  destroyed  our  beautiful  colo 
nial  home  on  the  James.  The  good  old  hero  of  Ap- 
pomattox  was  my  husband's  very  dear  friend,  and  he 
would  have  been  more  economical  with  his  telegrams 
had  he  known  that  his  friend  must  pay  so  heavy  a  toll 
upon  them.  The  United  States  government  was  also 
charged  enormously  heavy  rates  upon  that  message,  for 
the  ancestral  home  stood  very  far  away  from  the  line  of 
war,  and  Butler,  coming  from  City  Point  at  an  expense 
of  many  millions,  made  a  draft  on  the  war  fund  out  of  all 
proportion  to  any  beneficent  result  accomplished  by  the 
gratification  of  his  personal  spite. 

In  the  burning  of  Richmond  all  my  bridal  presents 
and  my  household  furniture  were  consumed. 

When  the  General  was  made  president  of  Southern 
agencies  for  the  Washington  Life  Insurance  Company, 
we  shut  up  our  little  cottage  home  on  Turkey  Island  and 
took  apartments  at  the  Spotswood  Hotel  in  Richmond. 
The  following  Christmas  we  went  to  spend  the  sacred 
season  with  our  dear  grandmother  —  her  last  Christmas- 
tide  on  earth.  On  our  return  the  next  night,  the  General 
ordered  the  driver  to  take  us  to  the  Spotswood.  "  Lawd! 
Lawd!  Marse  Gawge,  'deed  an'  'deed,  suh,  ef  I  wuz  to  do 
dat  I'd  be  'bleeged  to  dribe  you  smack  down  ter  destruck- 
shunment,  fer  'fo'  de  Lawd,  suh,  de  po'  ole  Spotserd  is 
dun  an'  bu'nt  up  smack  down  ter  de  groun'  las'  night; 
yas,  suh,  dat  she  did."  The  occupants  of  that  part  of  the 
building  where  our  rooms  were  located  were  burned  to 
death.  Though  fire  had  again  robbed  us  of  our  effects, 
through  a  merciful  Providence  our  lives  had  been  spared. 

To  my  home   in  Washington  late  one  night  came  a 


THE  FALL  OF  RICHMOND.  9 

poor  man  who  asked  for  help.  He  said  that  he  was  one 
of  "  Pickett's  men"  —  that  he  had  come  to  the  end  of  his 
rope  and  had  nothing  to  eat  and  nowhere  to  sleep.  I 
went  back  to  my  son's  room  to  get  some  money,  and 
thought  I  smelled  something  burning.  Opening  the 
door  leading  down  into  the  basement  just  beneath  my 
son's  room,  a  puff  of  smoke  struck  me  in  the  face.  Hur 
rying  back  to  the  porch  where  I  had  left  the  man  stand 
ing,  I  sent  him  to  the  nearest  drug-store  to  give  the 
alarm.  The  engines  came  in  time,  and  for  once,  by  what 
seemed  a  mere  accident,  I  escaped  the  fate  which  has  fol 
lowed  me  with  such  unwavering  persistence. 

A  flame  of  gas,  lit  by  a  careless  servant,  destroyed 
the  oil  portrait  of  the  General,  given  me  by  "  Pickett's 
men."  It  hung  upon  my  wall,  guarded  on  one  side  by  the 
beautiful  Confederate  flag  presented  to  me  by  the  "  Phila 
delphia  Brigade"  and  on  the  other  by  a  handsome  United 
States  flag,  a  treasured  gift  from  my  loved  Southland. 
The  two  banners  for  which  so  much  blood  and  treas 
ure  had  been  sacrificed  were  fastened  together  by  a  scarf 
of  Confederate  gray  and  Union  blue,  the  design  of  a  deaf 
and  dumb  boy,  a  son  of  one  of  Pickett's  men,  and  met 
above  the  pictured  head  of  the  soldier  who  had  fought 
so  bravely  under  them  both.  When  the  flames  were  ex 
tinguished,  the  portrait  was  a  charred  ruin,  and  flags  and 
scarf  were  a  heap  of  ashes  on  the  floor. 

Fire  destroyed  the  first  manuscript  of  the  story  of 
Pickett  and  his  men,  in  the  preparation  of  which  thirteen 
years  of  labor  had  been  spent.  Let  me  hope  that  the 
only  fire  which  will  attach  to  my  present  effort  to  record 
the  history  of  those  gallant  soldiers  is  the  long-ago-burnt- 
out  flames  which  surged  over  the  unfortunate  capital  of 
the  Confederacy. 


CHAPTER  II. 

ANXIETY,    SUSPENSE,    LONELINESS. 

The  fire  revealed  many  things  which  I  would  like 
never  to  have  seen  and,  having  seen,  would  fain  forget. 

One  of  the  most  revolting  sights  was  the  amount  of 
provisions  and  shoes  and  clothing  which  had  been  accu 
mulated  by  the  speculators  who  hovered  like  vultures 
over  the  scene  of  death  and  desolation.  Taking  advan 
tage  of  their  possession  of  money  and  their  lack  of  both 
patriotism  and  humanity,  they  had,  by  an  early  corner  in 
the  market  and  by  successful  blockade-running,  bought 
up  all  the  available  supplies  with  an  eye  to  future  gain, 
while  our  soldiers  and  women  and  children  were  abso 
lutely  in  rags  and  barefoot  and  starving. 

Not  even  war,  with  its  horrors  and  helplessness,  can 
divert  such  harpies  from  their  accustomed  methods  of 
accumulating  wealth  at  the  expense  of  those  of  their  fel 
low  men  who  have  spent  their  lives  in  less  self-seeking 
ways. 

All  my  own  little  store  was  a  small  quantity  of  flour 
and  meal  and  a  bag  of  beans;  no  salt  even  to  season  them; 
and  I  an  officer's  wife.  How  much  worse  it  must  have 
been  for  those  less  favored  than  I. 

The  General  had  left  me  in  Richmond  when  he  went 
away  to  fight  the  battle  of  Five  Forks,  telling  me  to  stay 
until  he  returned  or  sent  for  me.  "I  shall  surely  come," 
he  said.  So,  like  Casabianca,  I  waited,  and  not  even  "  the 
flames  that  lit  the  battle's  wreck "  should  frighten  me 
away. 


ANXIETY,    SUSPENSE,    LONELINESS.  1 1 

Though  my  husband's  friend,  General  Breckenridge, 
our  Secretary  of  War,  had,  in  his  thoughtfulness,  offered 
me  the  opportunity  of  leaving  our  dear  old  Confederate 
capital  with  him  and  his  family,  I  remembered  that  Gen 
eral  Pickett  had  left  me  here,  and  obediently  determined 
to  remain  until  he  should  come  or  send  for  me.  I  grate 
fully  thanked  General  Breckenridge  for  his  kindness,  but 
said: 

"  I  am  like  the  boy  who  stood  on  the  burning  deck.  I 
can  not  go  until  the  one  voice  calls  me." 

So  my  husband's  good  friend  was  regretfully  forced  to 
leave  me. 

The  days  were  made  up  of  fears  and  anguish  unspeak 
able.  The  clock  struck  only  midnight  hours  for  me. 

Rumors  of  the  death  of  the  General  were  credited 
(I  saw  by  the  look  in  everybody's  face),  though  no  word 
was  said,  and  I  would  not  ask  a  question  nor  let  anybody 
speak  to  me  of  him.  The  last  letter  I  had  received  from 
him  had  been  dated  the  30th  of  March,  at  Hatcher's 
Run,  the  extreme  right  of  the  Confederate  line  at  that 
time.  Most  of  the  letter  was  written  in  Chinook.  This 
is  a  quotation  from  it: 

Heavy  rains;  roads  and  streams  almost  impassable.  While  Gen 
eral  Lee  was  holding  a  conference  with  his  chiefs  this  morning  a  mes 
sage  came  from  General  Fitz  Lee,  stating  that  through  a  prisoner  he  had 
learned  that  the  Federal  cavalry,  fifteen  thousand  strong,  supported  by 
heavy  infantry,  were  at  or  near  Dinwiddie  Court-House.  This  decided 
the  General's  plans,  and  he  has  placed  General  Fitz  Lee  in  command 
of  the  whole  cavalry,  Rosser's,  W.  H.  F.  Lee's,  and  his  own,  with 
orders  to  march  upon  Five  Forks.  I  am  to  support  with  my  small 
force  of  artillery  and  infantry  this  movement  and  take  command 
of  the  whole  force. 

The  letter  was  in  full  faith  of  a  short  separation  and 
that  all  would  be  well,  that  he  would  surely  return,  and 


12  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

implored  me  not  to  listen  to  or  credit  any  Tumors  to  the 
contrary,  and  urged'  me  in  an  added  line  to  be  brave  and 
of  good  cheer  —  to  keep  up  a  "  skookum  turn-turn."  This 
letter  was  brought  to  me  by  Jaccheri,  a  daring,  fearless 
Italian  in  my  husband's  employ  as  a  headquarters  post 
master.  He  was  sagacious  and  loyal,  perfectly  devoted 
to  my  husband  and  his  cause,  and  was  trusted  with  letters 
of  the  strictest  confidence  and  importance  all  through 
the  war. 

As  1  said  before,  our  people  were  on  the  verge  of  star 
vation.  The  army  had  been  living  on  rations  of  corn  and 
beans,  with  "  seasonings  "  of  meat,  for  weeks  before  we  left 
camp.  A  rat  even  had  been  considered  a  bonne  bouche 
for  months  past.  The  game  had  been  trapped  and  killed 
throughout  the  whole  country,  and  my  breakfast  that 
morning  had  consisted  of  a  few  beans  cooked  in  water; 
no  salt;  for  salt  had  been  a  luxury  for  a  long  time  in  the 
Confederacy.  All  the  old  smokehouses  had  been  moved, 
that  the  earth  might  be  dug  up  and  boiled  down  to  get 
the  salt  which  in  the  many  years  it  had  absorbed. 

John  Theophelas,  my  dear  little  brother,  nine  years 
old,  was  a  great  comfort  to  me  in  these  days  of  trial.  He 
had  just  brought  up  my  beans  and  was  lovingly  coaxing 
me  to  eat  them  when  Jaccheri  came.  A  plate  was  filled 
for  Jaccheri,  and  after  he  had  finished  his  meager  break 
fast,  seasoned  with  his  adventures  in  getting  to  me,  swim 
ming  the  river  at  one  place  with  his  clothes  tied  up  in  a 
bundle  on  his  head,  etc.,  he  said  he  must  go.  I  added  a 
few  lines  to  my  diary  of  all  my  acts,  which  I  always  kept 
for  the  General,  and  gave  it  to  our  faithful  letter-carrier 
to  take  back  to  him. 

"Ina  da  days  to  come,"  said  Jaccheri,  in  his  soft  Ital 
ian   voice,  "ina   all   landa,   no    matter,  mucha   people  — 
mucha  gloly,  nadia  money,  no  matter,  you  find  Jaccheri 


ANXIETY,    SUSPENSE,    LONELINESS.  13 

here  —  and  here — "  first  putting  his  hand  over  his  heart 
and  then  drawing  from  his  boot  and  gracefully  brandish 
ing  a  shining  blade.  "  Gooda-by." 

At  the  door  he  turned  back  and,  untying  his  cravat, 
wiggled  out  five  pieces  of  money,  three  gold  dollars  and 
two  ninepences.  He  walked  over  on  tiptoe  to  where  our 
baby  was  sleeping,  crossed  himself,  and,  kneeling  by  the 
cradle,  slipped  into  baby's  little  closed  hand  two  of  the 
gold  dollars  and  around  his  neck  a  much  worn  and  soiled 
scapula. 

"  Da  mon  —  Confed  —  noa  mucha  good,  noa  now  much 
accountable  —  youa  mighta  want  some;  want  her  vely  bad 
before  you  nota  get  her.  Gooda-by,  some  moa." 

Dear,  faithful  old  Jaccheri,  —  he  would  take  no  refusal, 
so  I  let  baby  keep  the  money  and  used  it  to  buy  milk  for 
him,  for  I  had  not  a  penny  in  the  world. 

I  was  reading  aloud,  lovingly  and  reverently,  the  torn 
words  on  the  ragged  red-flannel  scapula  which  Jaccheri 
had  given  to  baby:  "  Cease,  the  heart  of  Jesus  is  with 
me,"  when  baby  opened  his  sweet  eyes  and  crowed 
over  the  little  fortune  which  had  come  to  him  in  his 
dreams,  and  just  then  my  little  brother,  who  had  gone 
down-stairs  with  Jaccheri,  came  rushing  back,  his  eyes 
wide  open,  all  excitement,  exclaiming: 

"Sister,  sister!  There's  a  Yankee  down-stairs!  Come 
to  see  you,  but  don't  you  go;  hide,  hide,  sister!  I'll  stand 
by  the  door,  and  he  daresen't  pass  by  me.  Quick,  sister, 
hide!  He  said  he  was  one  of  brother  George's  friends, 
but  don't  you  believe  him,  sister!  He  has  killed  brother 
George,  and  now  he  wants  to  kill  you! " 

"  Oh,  no,  no,  my  child,"  I  said  reassuringly,  trying  to 
soothe  and  calm  him.  "  No,  no;  don't  be  such  a  little  cow 
ard,  dear.  If  he  is  one  of  your  brother  George's  friends 
he  is  mine,  too,  and  he  would  do  me  no  hurt.  I  am  not 


14  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

in  the  least  afraid,  and  I  will  go  down  right  ^.way  and  see 
him." 

"  You  are  not  afraid  of  anything,  sister,  and.  you  will 
get  killed  yet,  as  sure  as  you  are  born,  and  brother  George 
told  me  to  take  care  of  you.  What  will  he  say  when  he 
comes  back  and  finds  you  dead  and  gone  and  nobody  to 
bury  you?  'Course  I'll  nurse  the  poor  baby  for  you  if 
you  will  go,  but,  sister,  please  marm,  don't  go.  I  shall 
be  scared  to  death  till  you  come  back." 

"That's  a  sweet  boy;  take  care  of  the  baby,"  I  said, 
and,  kissing  them  both,  closed  the  door  behind  me. 

As  I  entered  the  parlor  a  tall,  thin  gentleman  with  the 
sweetest  of  smiles  and  the  kindest  of  voices,  dressed  in 
the  uniform  of  a  United  States  surgeon,  arose  and  said 
as  he  bowed,  holding  his  hat  against  his  breast,  thus 
avoiding  offering  me  his  hand: 

"My  name  is  George  Suckley,  madam.  I  am  one  of 
George  Pickett's  friends,  although,  as  soldiers,  we  have 
been  enemies  in  the  field  for  more  than  three  years. 
That,  however,  does  not  interfere  with  us  when  we  are 
not  on  duty.  I  have  heard  that  you  Southern  women 
were  very  bitter,  and  I  did  not  know  how  you,  his  wife  — 
you  are  Pickett's  wife,  are  you  not,  madam?  —  would  take 
a  visit  from  me,  but  I  came,  nevertheless.  Knowing 
Pickett  as  well  as  I  do,  I  know  he  would  appreciate  my 
motive  in  coming." 

"Your  name  is  a  very  familiar  one,  Dr.  Suckley,"  I 
said.  "I  have  often  heard  the  General  speak  of  you, 
and  remember  many  stories  of  your  adventures  —  your 
love  for  bugs  and  beetles  —  for  all  natural  history,  in  fact." 
I  wished  him  to  know  that  I  remembered  him  and  had 
not  mistaken  him  for  another,  and  also  that  I  had  reason 
to  wonder  at  seeing  him  in  his  present  position.  "He 
often  spoke  of  your  having  been  with  him  at  Fort  Bel- 


ANXIETY,    SUSPENSE,    LONELINESS.  1 5 

lingham  Bay,  and  knowing  how  you  felt  when  he  left  the 
old  army,  he  has  often  wondered  at  your  remaining,  and 
going  to  the  front." 

"  I  am  a  surgeon  in  Grant's  army,"  said  Dr.  Suckley, 
proudly,  ignoring  and,  by  his  manner,  almost  resenting 
my  reference  to  his  former  sympathy  with  the  South. 
"  I  love  Pickett,  and  came,  as  he  would  have  come  had 
our  positions  been  reversed,  to  see  his  wife  and  offer  her 
my  services." 

I  thanked  this  kind-hearted  gentleman  and  distin 
guished  officer,  but  was  too  bitter  to  accept  the  smallest 
courtesy  at  his  hands,  even  in  my  husband's  name,  and 
though  offered  for  love's  sake  —  so  bitter  that  suffering 
was  preferable  to  such  obligation.  He  bowed  and  was 
going,  when  I  said: 

"Doctor,  is  there  any  news  of  the  army  —  ours,  I 
mean?  " 

"The  war  is  over,  madam.  You  have  my  address,  if 
you  should  change  your  mind  and  will  show  me  how  I 
can  serve  you." 

He  bowed  and  left.  He,  too,  had  heard  that  the  Gen 
eral  had  been  killed,  and  believed  it,  and  I  hated  him 
worse  because  of  his  belief. 

On  the  evening  of  the  3d  of  April  I  was  walking  the 
floor.  Baby  was  asleep,  and  my  little  brother  was  walk 
ing  behind  me,  when  I  heard: 

"Grand  victory  at  Five  Forks!  Pickett  killed,  and 
his  whole  division  captured!" 

It  seemed  very  strange  to  me  that  in  the  streets  of 
Richmond,  my  dear  old  home,  the  capital  of  the  Confed 
eracy,  the  death  of  Pickett  and  the  capture  of  his  whole 
division  should  be  heralded  as  a  "grand  victory."  How 
great  a  change  had  come  in  so  short  a  time!  Even  the 
newsboys  had  gone  over  to  the  enemy. 


1 6  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

"  'Tisn't  so,  sister;  'tisn't  so!  Don't  you  believe  him!" 
said  my  little  brother.  "Hush,  sir;  hush!"  he  excitedly 
called  out  of  the  window  to  the  newsboy.  "Hush  this 
minute,  hallooing  your  big  stories  out  loud  and  scaring 
everybody  to  death.  I'd  like  to  stick  those  five  forks 
through  your  old  black  gizzard,  for  you  haven't  got  any 
heart,  I  know.  Ain't  you  ashamed  of  yourself,  you  good- 
for-nothing  old  scalawag,  you!  There  ain't  a  word  of 
truth  in  brother  George  being  killed,  and  you  know  it, 
you  old  thing!  I'll  go  down  and  mash  his  mouth  for  him 
and  kick  him  to  death  for  scaring  you  so,  my  poor  sister — 
poor  sister!  Yes,  I'd  just  like  to  kill  that  boy,  sister, 
'deed  I  would;  but  it  isn't  so,  my  sister.  You  trust  in 
the  Lord.  I  know  brother  George  is  not  killed,  for  he 
said  he  wouldn't  get  killed." 

"  No,  it  is  not  so.  You  are  right,  my  darling.  Your 
brother  George  is  not  killed,"  I  said.  "Yes,  he  will  come 
back!  —  he  will  come  back!  He  said  he  would,  and  he 
will." 

I  thanked  God  then,  and  I  thank  God  now,  for  the 
sweet  comfort  of  that  precious  little  brother,  John  T. 
Corbell  —  my  little  confidant  and  friend  —  and  for  his  loy 
alty  and  love  in  all  the  succeeding  years. 

Oh,  the  sleepless  nights  that  followed  each  other  after 
that  in  monotonous  successionl 


CHAPTER   III 

"WHOA, 


One  morning  I  had  mechanically  dressed  baby  George 
and  had  taken  him  to  the  window  to  hear  the  spring 
sounds  and  breathe  the  spring  balm  and  catch  the  sun 
shine's  dripping  gold  wreathing  the  top  of  the  quivering 
blossoms  of  the  magnolia-  and  tulip-trees. 

It  was  the  time  when  the  orchestra  of  the  year  is  in 
perfect  accord,  when  all  the  world  is  vocal  —  when  the 
birds  sing  of  love,  the  buds  and  blossoms  of  joy,  the 
grains  and  grasses  of  hope  and  faith,  and  when  each 
rustle  of  wind  makes  a  chime  of  vital  resonance. 

Through  the  quiver  and  curl  of  leaves  and  perfume  of 
flowers  and  soft  undertone  of  dawn-winds  came  the  words, 
"  Whoa,  Lucy;  whoa,  little  girl!" 

Oh,  those  tones,  those  words,  that  voice  thrilled  my 
heart  so  that  I  wonder  it  did  not  burst  from  very  glad 
ness!  Such  joy,  such  gratitude  as  flooded  my  soul  only 
the  Giver  of  all  good  can  know!  All  the  privation  and 
starvation  and  blood-stains  of  the  past  four  years,  and  the 
woes  and  trials,  griefs  and  fears,  of  those  last  dreadful 
days  were  swept  away  by  those  blessed,  precious  words, 
"Whoa,  Lucy!"  spoken  in  my  husband's  tender  tones. 

How  I  £ot  down  the  stairs  I  do  not  know;  I  do  not 
remember.  With  baby  in  my  arms,  we  were  both  of  us 
in  my  husband's  almost  before  Lucy  had  been  given  into 
the  hands  of  the  hostler.  I  do  not  know  how  to  describe 
the  peace,  the  bliss  of  that  moment  —  it  is  too  deep  and 
too  sacred  to  be  translated  into  words.  I  think  that  it 
2  17 


1 8  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

is  akin  to  the  feeling  that  will  come  to  me  in  the  here 
after,  when  I  have  gone  through  all  these  dark  days  of 
privation  and  of  starvation  of  heart  and  soul  here,  victo 
rious,  and  at  last  am  safe  within  the  golden  gates  and, 
waiting  and  listening,  shall  hear  again  the  voice  that  said, 
"Whoa,  Lucy!"  here,  bidding  me  welcome  there. 

All  through  the  war  Lucy  had  brought  the  General 
to  me.  Spirited  and  beautiful,  she  had  many  times  car 
ried  him  twenty  miles  in  an  evening  to  see  me,  often 
through  dangers  greater  than  battle.  Lucy  was  not  the 
General's  war-horse.  She  was  the  little  thoroughbred 
chestnut  mare  he  always  rode  when  he  came  to  see  me. 
His  "peace-saddle,"  his  "love-pony,"  he  called  her,  and 
Bob,  the  General's  valet,  referring  to  her  would  say: 
"  Dat  hoss  Lucy  she  Marse  George's  co'tin'-filly;  an'  you 
daresent  projick  wid  dat  hoss  needer,  'kaze  Marse  George 
iz  mos'  ez  'especkful  to  her  ez  ef  she  wuz  sho'-'nuff  real 
folks."  The  horse  the  General  used  in  battle  he  called 
"  Old  Black,"  a  steady,  sure-footed,  strong,  fearless  animal 
that,  while  obedient  to  the  General's  slightest  touch  or 
command,  allowed  no  one  else,  on  peril  of  death,  to 
mount  her. 

My  father's  home  was  in  Chuckatuck,  Nansemond 
County,  Virginia,  about  thirty  miles  from  Norfolk,  diago 
nally  opposite  Newport  News.  After  the  evacuation  of 
Norfolk  by  the  Confederate  forces  all  that  part  of  the 
country  was  neutral  ground,  being  occupied  one  day  by 
Federal  troops,  and  another  by  the  Confederates.  Lying 
thus  between  the  two  lines,  a  constant  warfare  was  car 
ried  on  by  the  scouts  of  both  armies. 

I  had  not  been  to  my  father's  home  since  I  was  mar 
ried,  and  was  not  prepared  for  the  changes  war  had  made. 
Our  own  home  on  the  James  had  been  burned  to  ashes  at 
the  command  of  Butler,  and  for  awhile  we  had  nowhere 


"WHOA,    LUCY."  IQ 

to  go  but  to  my  father's.  We  had  nothing.  We  both 
knew,  however,  that  a  loving  welcome  awaited  us  there 
in  my  father's  home.  We  knew  that  he  had  an  abundance 
to  eat.  Nature's  great  larder,  the  Chuckatuck,  ran  but  a 
stone's  throw  from  the  back  door,  supplying  with  but  lit 
tle  labor  terrapin,  fish,  oysters  and  crabs  in  abundance,  and 
bait  was  plentiful.  It  was  there,  then,  to  my  childhood's 
home,  that  the  General  decided  we  should  go.  But,  how? 
There  was  no  way  of  getting  there,  no  steamers  running, 
and  the  railroad  was  derailed  for  miles  around.  Then 
again,  there  was  no  money;  my  husband  had  not  a  penny 
in  the  world,  and  our  friends  were  no  better  off. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  second  day  after  the  General's 
return,  while  we  were  planning  about  going,  my  little 
brother  Johnny  came  running  in,  saying: 

"  Sister,  I  saw  riding  by  the  door  just  now  that  same 
Yankee  who  came  here  to  see  you  the  other  day,  and  who 
said  he  was  brother  George's  friend.  He  knew  me,  and 
asked  how  you  were,  and  how's  the  baby." 

"Oh,  I  forgot;  I  must  tell  you  all  about  it,"  I  said, 
and  I  then  told  the  General  of  the  visitor  I  had  had  be 
fore  he  came  back.  When  I  had  told  him  all,  his  gray 
eyes  filled  with  tears,  and  looking  down  he  said,  tenderly: 

"Dear  old  Suckley!  God  bless  him!  That's  just 
like  him.  Where  is  his  card?  Find  it  for  me,  please, 
little  one.  Dear  old  Suckley  —  dear  old  fellow  —  so 
true!"  he  said,  looking  at  the  card. 

I  stooped  down  and  took  the  General's  dear  head  in 
both  my  hands,  and  raising  it  up  looked  down  search- 
ingly  into  his  earnest,  loving  eyes  to  see  how  he  could 
possibly  speak  so  kindly  and  so  affectionately  of  a 
Yankee. 

"  So  you  have  that  same  kind  of  '  off-duty '  feeling,  too, 
I  see,  that  this  Yankee  doctor  spoke  of  having,"  I  said 


20  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

with  surprise,  and  rather  disrespectfully  fof  me,  too,  I  am 
afraid. 

"  I  must  find  the  dear  old  fellow,"  the  General  said, 
graciously  overlooking  my  smallness  of  spirit,  and  excus 
ing  himself  and  taking  leave  of  baby  and  me,  he  went  out 
at  once.  In  a  little  while  he  came  back,  saying: 

"  It  is  very  fortunate  for  us,  little  one,  that  I  went  out 
when  I  did.  Suckley  goes  down  the  river  to-morrow  to 
Norfolk  in  the  surgeon-general's  steamer,  and  he  has 
kindly  invited  us  to  go  with  him,  dear  old  big-hearted 
bug-catcher!  Come,  let  us  lose  no  time.  Let  us  hurry 
and  get  our  little  traps  together  and  be  ready.  We  will 
not  say  anything  about  our  plans  to  any  one  till  to-morrow 
morning,  when  we  can  announce  our  intentions  and  say 
our  good-bys  simultaneously." 

Not  only  had  this  Yankee  officer,  in  his  "off-duty" 
feeling  for  the  General,  kindly  volunteered  to  transport 
us  to  our  home,  but  to  carry  our  trunks  and  horses,  in 
fact,  all  we  had,  which,  alas!  was  very,  very  little.  Most 
of  our  worldly  possessions  —  all  of  our  bridal  presents, 
linen,  library,  pictures,  silver,  furniture,  harp,  piano,  china, 
—everything  except  a  few  clothes,  had  been  stored  at  Kent, 
Payne  &  Co.'s,  and  had  been  burned  in  the  awful  fire  the 
night  of  the  evacuation  of  Richmond. 

The  General's  staff  had,  one  by  one,  come  in  during 
the  day  from  the  field  and  camp,  and  all  breakfasted  with 
us  for  the  last  time  next  morning  in  the  old  Pickett  home 
at  the  corner  of  Sixth  and  Leigh  streets.  The  military 
family  had  broken  up  at  Appomattox  after  Lee's  surren 
der,  and  the  dear  old  headquarters  Confederate  flag  the 
General  himself  unstaffed,  tore  into  strips  and  divided 
among  them.  Such  a  happy  family  they  had  been. 

The  second  social  parting  was  sad,  too,  for  they  had 
taken  me,  "the  child  wife,"  into  their  lives  twenty  months 


"WHOA,   LUCY."  21 

oefore,  and  they  all  loved  me  and  called  me  "  sister." 
Their  pride  in  each  other  and  in  their  command,  the  perils 
that  together  they  had  endured,  the  varied  experiences 
of  good  times  and  bad,  had  bound  them  together  in  links 
stronger  than  steel. 

Spite  of  the  partings,  the  loss  of  our  cause,  our  dis 
appointment  and  poverty,  there  was  to  me  a  sweet, 
restful,  peaceful  feeling  of  thankfulness  in  my  heart  and 
gratitude  to  God  that  the  war  was  over,  that  my  husband 
had  been  spared  and  belonged  now  only  to  me,  that  we 
were  going  home,  and  together,  free  from  intrusion,  could 
rest  under  the  shade  of  our  own  trees. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

GEORGE  JUNIOR'S    FIRST  GREENBACK. 

The  next  morning  at  ten  o'clock  Dr.  Suckley  called 
in  his  headquarters  ambulance  to  take  us  to  the  steamer. 
Just  at  the  close  of  breakfast  we  had  announced  our  in 
tention  of  going.  There  was  to  be  a  sudden  breaking 
up  and  severing  of  old  associations.  The  staff  were  all 
en  route  to  their  respective  homes  except  the  adjutant- 
general,  Major  Charles  Pickett.  He  and  Mrs.  Dr.  Bur- 
well,  only  brother  and  sister  of  my  husband,  were  to 
remain  with  their  families  for  a  time  in  the  old  Pickett 
home. 

We  said  our  sad  good-by  in  the  great  fruit-  and  flower- 
garden  at  the  rear  of  the  house,  and  passing  all  alone 
through  the  large  parlors  and  wide  halls,  crept  quietly 
out  and  softly  closed  the  door  behind  us.  The  only  evi 
dence  of  life  in  the  dear  old  home  as  we  looked  back  was 
Dr.  Burwell's  big  dog  which,  having  escaped  from  the 
back  yard,  howled  mournfully  within  the  gates.  The 
blinds  and  window-shades  had  not  been  opened  or  raised 
since  the  Federal  forces  had  occupied  the  city. 

As  we  boarded  the  steamer  that  morning  I  realized  for 
the  first  time  that  our  cause  was  lost.  Never  before  in 
all  the  days  of  my  dear  married  life  but  cheer  after  cheer 
had  greeted  us  wherever  we  had  gone  —  salute  from  sol 
dier  or  sailor,  whether  on  or  off  duty.  This  morning  these 
honors  were  replaced  by  stares  of  surprise,  of  mingled 
curiosity  and  hate.  Dr.  Suckley  recognized  this  feeling 
at  once,  and,  with  a  quizzical  smile  at  my  caged-tigress 

22 


GE  OR  GE  JUNIOR '  S  FIRS  T  GREENE  A  CK.  2  3 

expression  of  rage,  put  his  arm  in  that  of  the  General,  and 
with  a  haughty  glance  at  the  men,  walked  boldly  on  board. 
I  was  shown  into  the  surgeon-general's  stateroom,  in  which 
there  were  many  evidences  of  thoughtful  care  for  my 
comfort.  We  were  soon  under  way. 

The  General  and  Dr.  Suckley  called  each  other  by 
their  given  names  and  laughed  and  talked  as  cordially  as 
if  they  had  loved  the  same  dear  cause  and  fought  for  it  side 
by  side.  At  the  table  they  drank  to  each  other's  health 
and  to  the  friends  and  memories  of  olden  times.  A 
stranger  could  not  have  told  which  of  the  two  soldiers 
had  furled  his  banner. 

They  chatted  of  Texas,  and  the  great  annexation  strife 
which  had  changed  the  political  complexion  of  the  nation 
away  back  in  what  seemed  to  my  youthful  view  a  remote 
antiquity.  They  talked  of  Mexico,  and  the  General  re 
called  reminiscences  of  the  battles  in  which  he  had 
fought  in  that  wonderful  tropical  country.  They  dis 
cussed  the  wild,  free,  fresh,  novel  life  of  the  far-off 
Pacific  coast,  the  wealth  of  the  gold-mines  of  California, 
its  luscious  and  abundant  fruits,  and  the  friends  they  had 
known  there.  They  talked  of  the  great  Northwest,  that 
was  like  a  mythologic  region  to  me,  of  the  Chinook  In 
dians,  and  of  San  Juan  Island  and  the  English  officers 
who  had  occupied  the  island  conjointly  with  the  General. 
I  found  myself  wondering  if  it  had  been  a  dream,  and 
there  had  been  no  internecine  strife. 

Just  before  reaching  City  Point,  which  is  a  few  hours' 
distance  from  Richmond,  Dr.  Suckley  came  up  to  me  and 
said: 

"We  are  going  to  stop  for  General  Ingalls,  who 
wishes  to  come  on  board  to  pay  his  respects  to  you  and 
George.  I  don't  suppose  there  is  any  one  in  the  wide 
world  Rufus  Ingalls  loves  more  than  he  does  your  hus- 


24  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

band,  and  I  hope,  madam,  you  will  meet  him  with  more 
cordiality  than  you  did  another  of  your  husband's  friends. 
At  least,  for  the  sake  of  their  lifelong  friendship,  you 
will  not  hurt  him." 

He  turned  for  sympathy  to  my  husband,  who  looked 
acquiescingly  at  him  and  beseechingly  at  me.  Presently 
the  General  drew  me  to  one  side  and  whispered: 

"  Suckley  voiced  my  wishes,  my  little  wife,  and  I  want 
ycu  to  meet  my  old  friend  just  as  cordially  as  you  can. 
Put  your  little  hand  in  his  and  forget  everything  except 
that  he  is  one  of  your  husband's  oldest  and  dearest 
friends." 

I  promised  my  husband  with  all  my  heart  to  do  what 
he  asked,  and  I  really  meant  to  do  it.  I  loved  to  do  every 
thing  he  bade  me.  I  liked  him  to  make  things  hard  for  me 
sometimes,  that  I  might  show  him  how  sincere  and  loving 
my  obedience  was.  But  when  General  Ingalls  came  on 
board,  was  given  a  salute  and  received,  as  became  his 
rank,  with  the  honors  the  absence  of  which  I  had  marked 
when  my  own  General  came,  I  slipped  my  hand  out  of 
my  husband's  and  ran  back  to  my  stateroom  as  fast  as 
I  could. 

There  I  burst  out  crying  and  shook  our  baby,  waking 
him,  and  told  him  how  papa  had  been  treated  —  that  poor 
papa  had  not  had  any  honors  paid  him  at  all,  and  that 
a  dreadful  old  bad  Yankee  general  had  come  on  board 
and  taken  them  all,  and  that  when  he  grew  up  and  was  a 
big  man  he  must  fight  and  fight  and  fight,  and  never  sur 
render,  and  never  forgive  the  Yankees;  no,  not  even  if  his 
poor,  dethroned  papa  asked  him  to  do  so.  I  told  him 
how  his  papa  had  asked  me  to  shake  hands  with  this 
Yankee  general,  because  he  was  his  friend,  and  that  I  was 
going  to  do  it  because  papa  wanted  me  to;  that  I  tried  and 
could  not, and  that  he  never  must,  either — never,  never. 


GEORGE  JUNIOR'S  FIRST  GREENBACK.  2$ 

I  did  not  know  there  was  a  witness  to  all  my  bitter 
ness  till  I  heard  a  smothered  chuckle  and,  looking  up, 
saw  my  husband  and  his  friend,  General  Rufus  Ingalls, 
standing  over  me.  With  a  twinkle  in  his  eye,  and  in  a 
voice  full  of  suppressed  laughter,  General  Ingalls  said,  as 
he  patted  me  on  the  head: 

"I  don't  blame  you  one  bit,  little  woman  —  not  a 
damn  bit.  I  should  feel  just  as  terrible  about  it  as 
you  do  if  I  were  in  your  place.  It's  all  different  with 
Pickett  and  me,  you  see.  We  don't  mind.  Why,  do 
you  know,  child,  we  have  slept  under  the  same  blanket, 
fought  under  the  same  flag,  eaten  out  of  the  same  mess- 
pan,  dodged  the  same  bullets,  scalped  the  same  Indians, 
made  love  to  the  same  girls  —  aye,  Pickett,  it  won't  do, 
by  Jove,  to  tell  her  all  we  have  done  together  —  no,  no — 
come,  shake  hands.  I  am  dreadful  sorrywe  have  had  this 
terrible  kick-up  in  the  family,  and  all  this  row  and  blood 
shed,  but  we  are  all  Americans,  damn  it,  anyhow,  and  your 
fellows  have  been  mighty  plucky  to  hold  out  as  they  have. 
Come,  that's  a  good  child;  shake  hands.  May  I  kiss  her, 
Pickett?  No  —  damn  it,  I  shan't  ask  you.  There,  there! 
Here  is  a  basket  of  trash  I  had  the  orderly  rake  together. 
I  don't  know  what  it  all  is,  but  I  told  the  man  to  do 
the  best  he  could.  Here,  Mr.  George  junior  —  with  your 
bright  eyes  and  your  won't-cry  mouth  —  here  is  a  green 
chip  for  a  pair  of  red  shoes." 

General  Ingalls  put  into  our  baby's  hands  his  first 
greenback,  and  it  was  the  only  money  we  had,  too — every 
cent.  Baby  and  I  said  good-by,  and  he  and  the  Gen 
eral  went  out  on  deck.  While  I  was  peeping  into  the 
basket  "Mr.  George  junior"  tore  the  note  in  two.  I 
caught  the  pieces  and  stuck  my  bonnet-pin  through  them 
till  I  could  paste  them  together.  One  of  the  officers 
brought  me  some  glue,  and  I  cut  a  hundred-dollar  Con- 


26  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

federate  note  in  two  to  mend  it  with.     Poor*Con  federate 
money!  — 

*  Representing  nothing  in  God's  earth  now, 

And  naught  in  the  waters  below  it; 
As  the  pledge  of  a  nation  that  passed  away, 

Keep  it,  dear  friend,  and  show  it. 
Show  it  to  those  who  will  lend  an  ear 

To  a  tale  this  trifle  will  tell  — 
Of  Liberty  born  of  a  patriot's  dream, 

Of  a  storm-cradled  nation  that  fell. 

Too  poor  to  possess  the  precious  ores, 

And  too  much  of  a  stranger  to  borrow, 
We  issued  to-day  our  promise  to  pay, 

And  hoped  to  redeem  on  the  morrow. 
The  days  rolled  on,  and  weeks  became  years, 

But  our  coffers  were  empty  still; 
Coin  was  so  scarce  that  the  treasury  quaked 

When  a  dollar  should  drop  in  the  till. 

But  the  faith  that  was  in  us  was  strong,  indeed, 

Though  our  poverty  well  we  discerned; 
And  this  little  check  represents  the  pay 

That  our  suffering  veterans  earned. 
They  knew  it  had  hardly  a  value  in  gold, 

Yet  as  gold  our  soldiers  received  it; 
It  gazed  in  our  eyes  with  a  promise  to  pay, 

And  every  true  soldier  believed  it. 

But  our  boys  thought  little  of  price  or  pay, 

Or  of  bills  that  were  overdue  — 
We  knew  if  it  brought  us  our  bread  to-day 

'  Twas  the  best  our  poor  country  could  do. 
Keep  it!     It  tells  all  our  history  over, 

From  the  birth  of  our  dream  till  its  last; 
Modest,  and  born  of  the  angel  Hope, 

Like  our  visions  6f  glory,  it  passed. 

*  These  verses  v/cre  written  on  the  back  of  a  Confederate  note,  and 
for  a  time  were  ascribed  to  John  Esten  Cooke,  and  to  Colonel  Wythe 
Mumford.  They  were  afterwards  attributed  to  Colonel  Jonas. 


GEORGE  JUNIOR'S  FIRST  GREENBACK.  2/ 

Baby's  first  greenback  was  put  up  to  dry,  and  then  I 
turned  my  attention  to  the  big  covered  basket  the  sailor 
had  brought  in.  What  an  Aladdin  treat  it  was!  Raisins 
—  the  first  I  had  seen  in  years  and  years  —  coffee,  real 
"sho'-'nuff"  coffee  —  sugar,  crushed  sugar  —  how  nice! 
(we  had  had  nothing  but  sorghum-juice  sugar  and  sweet- 
potato  coffee  for  so  long)  —  rice  and  prunes,  Jamaica  rum 
and  candy — French  brandy  and  sherry  and  port  —  oh,  me! 
and  figs — nothing  ever  had  tasted  so  good  as  that  first  fig — 
and  well  —  the  Yankee  general  who  gave  them  all  to  me  — 
the  tones  of  his  voice  made  more  peace  than  his  words. 
Eating  the  figs,  I  repeated  them  over  to  baby,  saying: 

"  Never  mind,  baby,  about  hating  this  Yankee.  He 
said  papa  and  he  had  trailed  after  the  same  Indians  and 
smoked  their  venison  at  the  same  camp-fire  and  had  drunk 
from  the  same  flask.  He  said  you  looked  like  your  papa, 
and  he  said  you  were  a  beautiful  boy.  So  you  need  not 
mind  about  hating  just  this  one.  He  said  geography  and 
politics  had  forced  your  papa  and  him  to  take  opposite 
courses  and  it  took  four  years  to  settle  for  their  hot-head- 
edness  and  ambitions.  You  must  never  be  a  politician, 
and  —  you  may  love  this  o?ie  Yankee  a  tiny  bit,  and  may 
suck  a  piece  of  his  beautiful  candy." 

Dr.  Suckley  not  only  took  us  to  Norfolk,  which  was 
the  end  of  his  route,  but  he  took  us  up  the  Nansemond 
River,  thirty  miles,  and  up  Chuckatuck  Creek,  to  my  fa 
ther's  wharf.  No  one  was  expecting  us.  They  thought, 
of  course,  it  was  the  "  Yankees  come  again,"  and  had 
all  run  off  and  hidden,  except  my  father  who  came  down 
to  catch  the  boat-line  and  welcome  the  travelers,  whoever 
they  might  be.  Oh,  the  joyful  welcome  of  my  great  big- 
hearted  father! 

Soldiers  and  sailors,  one  and  all,  came  and  shook 
hands  with  us.  Baby  and  my  little  brother,  Johnny,  had 


23  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

made  friends  of  them  all  for  us.  Baby  kneV  no  differ 
ence  between  those  who  wore  the  blue  and  those  who 
wore  the  gray,  and  some  of  them  had  little  ones  at 
home.  We  said  good-by,  with  many  a  regret,  to  our 
kind  friend  and  benefactor,  Dr.  Suckley,  and  to  the  sail 
ors  and  officers,  and  this  time  cheer  after  cheer  went  up 
for  my  noble  hero  husband,  as  the  little  steamer  hauled 
in  the  lines  and  puffed  away,  and  more  names  were 
added  to  the  list  of  Yankees  for  baby  not  to  hate. 


CHAPTER  V. 

"SKOOKUM   TUM-TUM." 

The  General  did  not  like  to  fight  his  battles  over. 
He  said  that  the  memories  they  revived  were  too  bitter 
to  be  cherished.  The  faces  of  the  dead  and  dying  sol 
diers  on  the  field  of  battle  were  never  forgotten.  The  sor 
row  of  widows  and  orphans  shadowed  all  the  glory  for 
him.  In  the  presence  of  memory  he  was  silent.  The 
deepest  sorrow,  like  the  deepest  joy,  is  dumb. 

"We  are  both  too  worn  and  weary  now  for  aught 
else  but  to  rest  and  comfort  each  other,"  he  said.  "We 
will  lock  out  of  our  lives  everything  but  its  joys.  From 
adversity,  defeat  and  mourning,  shall  spring  calmness  for 
the  past,  strength  for  the  present,  courage  for  the  future. 
Now  that,  in  obedience  to  the  command  of  General  Lee, 
I  have  finished  and  sent  off  the  report  of  the  last  fight  of 
the  old  division,  the  closing  days  of  our  dear  lost  cause, 
we  will  put  up  the  pen  for  awhile,  and  lay  aside  our  war 
thoughts.  We  will  rest  and  plan  for  peace,  and  then 
after  a  time  we  will  take  up  the  pen  again  and  write 
down  our  memories  for  our  children  and  perhaps  for  the 
children  of  the  old  division.  We  will  build  us  a  nest 
over  the  ashes  of  our  once  grand  old  colonial  home  on 
the  James,  and  plant  a  new  grove  in  the  place  of  the 
sturdy  old  oaks  cut  down." 

The  General  possessed  the  greatest  capacity  for  hap 
piness,  and  such  dauntless  courage  and  self-control  that, 
to  all  appearances,  he  could  as  cheerfully  and  buoyantly 
steer  his  way  over  the  angry,  menacing,  tumultuous  surges 

29 


3O  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

of  life  as  over  the  waves  that  glide  in  tranquil  smooth 
ness  and  sparkle  in  the  sunlight  of  a  calm,  clear  sky. 

This  sweet  rest  which  we  had  planned  for  ourselves, 
however,  was  of  but  short  duration.  We  had  been  at  my 
father's  home  only  a  few  days,  when  a  private  messenger 
brought  letters  of  warning  from  some  of  the  General's  old 
army  friends.  Two  officers  high  in  authority,  solicitous 
for  his  welfare,  advised  that,  in  the  existing  uncertain,  in 
cendiary,  seditious  condition  of  things,  he  should  absent 
himself  for  a  while,  until  calm  reflection  should  take  the 
place  of  wild  impulse,  and  time  bring  healing  on  its 
wings,  and  make  peace  secure. 

Butler,  who  had  not  yet  recovered  from  the  "bottling- 
up"  experience,  had  instigated  a  movement  to  indict  the 
General  for  treason,  and  was  making  bitter  speeches 
against  him  in  Congress.  The  people  everywhere,  in 
censed  and  furious  over  the  assassination  of  their  beloved, 
martyred  President,  cried  aloud  for  vengeance  and  blood 
and  the  revival  of  the  law  of  Moses. 

The  nation  had  gone  mad  with  grief  and  rage.  The 
waves  of  passion  rose  mountain-high,  and  from  the  awful 
storm  the  angels  of  justice,  mercy  and  peace  took  flight. 
All  that  was  bad  in  the  hearts  of  men  arose  to  the  sur 
face;  all  that  was  good  sank  to  the  depths.  The  first  per 
son  who  could  be  seized  upon  was  regarded  as  the  proper 
victim  to  the  national  fury.  The  weakest  and  most  de 
fenseless  was  made  the  target  of  popular  wrath,  because 
rage  could  thereby  most  quickly  spend  itself  in  ven 
geance.  Mrs.  Surratt  was  imprisoned,  and  the  whole  coun 
try  was  in  a  state  of  frenzy  and  on  the  verge  of  revolution. 

The  strictest  secrecy  was  enjoined  upon  us.  Only  my 
father  and  mother  were  taken  into  our  confidence.  Lucy 
was  bridled,  saddled  and  brought  to  the  door.  I 
walked  with  my  husband,  he  holding  the  bridle,  to  the 


' '  SKO  OKUM  TUM-  TUM.  "  31 

upper  gate.  It  was  ten  o'clock;  the  moon  was  shining 
brightly,  and  all  was  quiet  and  still. 

The  General's  plan  for  me  was  that  I  should  go  next 
day  to  Norfolk,  take  the  steamer  to  Baltimore,  and  visit 
his  aunt,  whose  husband  had  been  in  the  old  army,  and 
who  had  not  left  it  to  join  the  Southern  Confederacy, 
though  his  sons  had  fought  on  that  side,  one  of  them  hav 
ing  been  detailed  on  duty  at  my  husband's  headquarters. 

"My  aunt  will  welcome  you,"  he  said,  "and  you  will 
remain  with  her  until  a  telegram  shall  come  to  you,  say 
ing,  'Edwards  is  better.'"  (Edward  was  my  husband's 
middle  name.) 

That  telegram  would  mean  that  he  was  safe  and  that 
I  was  to  join  him,  starting  on  the  next  train.  I  was  to 
telegraph  to  "Edwards"  from  Albany,  on  my  way  to 
him,  sending  the  message  to  the  point  from  which  his 
telegram  had  been  dated.  If  his  telegram  should  say, 
"There  is  still  danger  of  contagion,"  I  was  not  to  start, 
but  remain  with  his  aunt  until  another  message  came. 

"Cheer  up,  the  shadows  will  scatter  soon.  Already 
bright  visions  and  happy  day-dreams  flit  through  my 
brain  and  thrill  my  heart;  so  keep  up  a  'skookum  turn- 
turn,'  little  one,  and  take  care  of  yourself.  Watch  for 
the  telegram,  '  Edwards  is  better,'  for  it  will  surely  come. 
Now,  keep  up  your  courage  and  have  faith;  for  it  will 
surely  come.  God  bless  you." 

I  smiled  up  at  him  as  he  repeated  the  familiar  old  say 
ing,  "Keep  up  a  'skookuoi  turn-turn'  (a  brave  heart), 
little  one." 

He  had  learned  the  phrase  from  an  old  Chinook  war 
rior  on  the  Pacific  coast,  and  in  the  darkest  days  of  the 
ill-fated  struggle,  when  hope  died  in  the  heart  and  the 
sun  seemed  to  have  left  the  sky  forever,  he  ivould  lift 
my  face  upward,  look  down  upon  it  with  his  kind  tyesf 


32  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

smile  gently,  and  say  in  a  cheerful  voice,-  "Keep  up  a 
skookum  turn-turn,  dear  one." 

I  listened  to  the  sound  of  the  footsteps  of  the  horse, 
(his  "co'tin'-filly "  —  dear  old  Lucy)  away  in  the  dis 
tance,  long  after  he  was  out  of  sight.  Then  I  remem 
bered  a  trick  of  my  childhood,  which  had  been  taught 
me  by  a  half-Indian,  half-negress,  and,  putting  my  ear  to 
the  ground,  I  listened  for  the  steps  until  the  last  echo 
was  lost. 

The  night-wind  sighed  with  me  as  I  walked  back,  re 
peating  "  Keep  up  a  skookum  turn-turn."  My  pathway  lay 
parallel  with  the  Chuckatuck  Creek,  a  stone's  throw  to  the 
left.  The  tide  was  high  and  still  coming  in.  The  surg 
ing  of  its  waves  seemed  to  call  out  to  me,  "Skookum 
turn-turn!  Skookum  turn-turn!"  I  could  not  be  all  deso 
late,  when  the  most  beautiful  forces  of  nature,  echoing 
his  words,  called  to  me,  "Keep  up  a  brave  heart  —  brave 
heart!" 

My  precious  old  father  had  waited  to  have  us  say 
good-by  alone,  and  was  now  coming  forward  to  meet  me. 
Our  baby  awakened  just  as  we  got  in.  I  confided  to 
baby  the  secret  of  the  telegram,  and  told  him  papa  said  it 
would  surely  come,  and  papa  always  said  what  was  true. 

The  stars  were  burning  brightly  in  the  midnight  sky 
to  light  the  traveler  on  his  way  as  he  went  afar  off. 
Could  there  be  light  on  the  pathway  that  led  him  from 
me?  Had  his  face  been  turned  southward,  with  his  eyes 
fixed  joyfully  upon  the  loved  home  where  he  would  be 
welcomed  when  his  journey1  was  over,  what  radiant  glory 
would  have  flooded  the  way! 

Far  up  in  the  zenith  I  could  see  "our  star"  gleaming 
brilliantly,  seeming  to  reach  out  fingers  of  light  to  touch 
me  in  loving  caress.  It  was  a  pure  white  star,  that  sent 
down  floods  of  silvery  radiance.  Near  it  was  a  red  star, 


' '  SKO  OKUM  TUM-  TUM.  "  33 

gleaming  and  beautiful,  but  I  did  not  love  it.  It  seemed 
to  glow  with  the  baleful  fires  of  war.  My  great  loving, 
tender,  white  star  was  like  a  symbol  of  peace  looking 
down  with  serenest  compassion. 

"  Our  star,"  he  had  said,  as  we  stood  together  only 
one  little  evening  before  —  how  long  ago  it  seemed  —  and 
gazed  upward  to  find  what  comfort  we  might  in  its  soft 
radiance.  "  Wherever  we  may  be,  we  will  look  aloft  into 
the  night  sky,  where  it  shines  with  steady  light,  and  feel 
that  our  thoughts  and  hearts  are  together." 

I  fell  asleep,  saying  softly  in  my  heart,  "  God's  lights 
to  guide  him." 

There  were  no  steamers  and  no  railroads  from  my 
home  to  Norfolk,  but  my  father  secured  a  pungy  —  a  lit 
tle  oyster-boat  —  and  the  following  day  we,  baby  and  I, 
started  off.  My  father's  heart  was  almost  broken  at 
parting  from  me  so  soon  again.  I  was  going,  he  knew 
not  where,  but  knowing  that  "what  God  hath  joined  to 
gether,  no  man  should  put  asunder,"  he  could  not  say 
one  word  to  keep  me. 

A  storm  came  up  just  after  we  had  gotten  out  of 
Chuckatuck  Creek,  and  we  were  delayed  in  arriving  at 
Norfolk.  We  had  hoped  to  be  there  some  hours  before 
the  departure  of  the  Baltimore  steamer,  but  reached  the 
wharf  as  the  plank  was  about  to  be  taken  in,  so  that  my 
father  barely  had  time  to  say  good-by  to  me  and  put  me 
on  board. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

CARPET-BAG,  BASKET  AND  BABY. 

Alone,  except  for  baby  George,  for  the  first  time  in  all 
my  seventeen  years!  Perhaps  no  timid  little  waif  thrown 
out  upon  the  deep  sea  of  life  ever  felt  more  utterly 
desolate. 

I  stepped  on  board  the  Baltimore  steamer  and  was 
piloted  into  the  saloon  by  a  porter  whose  look  and  man 
ner  showed  that  he  was  perfectly  cognizant  of  my  igno 
rance  and  inexperience.  In  the  midst  of  my  loneliness 
and  the  consciousness  of  my  awkwardness  and  my  real 
sorrows,  sympathy  for  myself  revived  my  olden-time 
compassion  for  poor  David  Copperfield,  whom  Steerforth's 
servant  had  made  to  feel  so  "young  and  green." 

So  little  did  I  know  of  traveling  and  the  modes  and 
manners  of  travelers,  that  I  sent  for  the  captain  of  the 
steamer  to  buy  my  ticket  and  arrange  for  my  stateroom 
and  supper.  I  wondered  a  little,  as  I  waited  for  him, 
what  he  would  think  of  my  childishness,  and  if  he  often 
had  such  helpless  passengers,  and  if  he  had,  what  he  did 
with  them,  and  if  life  was  not  sometimes  made  a  burden 
to  him  because  of  them.  There  was  always  an  undercur 
rent,  though,  of  realization  of  my  position,  and  of  dread 
because  of  it.  I  had  one  comforting  reflection,  however 
—  the  captain  could  not  take  me  for  a  conspirator.  My 
innocence  was  too  genuine  and  embarrassing  to  be  mis 
taken  for  assumed  guilelessness. 

I  had  been  told  on  leaving  my  home  that  the  slightest 
jmprudence  or  careless  word  from  me  might  cause 

34 


CARPET-BAG,  BASKET  AND  BABY.  35 

my  arrest,  and  that,  in  any  event,  if  it  were  known  who 
I  was,  it  was  more  than  possible  that  I  might  be  held 
as  a  hostage  for  my  husband.  After  consideration  it  had 
been  decided  that  I  should  travel,  not  under  my  own 
name,  but  under  my  maiden  name.  The  more  I  studied 
the  subject  the  more  bewildered  I  became.  How  could 
I  keep  my  precious  secret?  I  determined  to  be  very 
silent  and  guard  my  tongue  closely  and  answer  in  mono 
syllables  that  would  discourage  intimacies.  I  began  to 
draw  my  face  down  and  look  serious  and  wise  and  assume 
an  expression  of  profound  abstraction.  Then  it  occurred 
to  me  that  this  attitude  would  never  do.  In  the  few 
novels  I  had  read,  the  people  who  had  secrets  were  al 
ways  silent  and  mysterious.  Their  demeanor  said  more 
plainly  than  words  could  have  expressed: 

"  Behold,  the  modern  Sphinx,  whose  riddle  can  never 
be  read!" 

Every  one  would  recognize  immediately  the  fact  that 
my  mind  was  the  repository  of  something  dangerous. 

Then  I  thought  I  would  cultivate  a  light  and  chatty 
style,  more  in  accordance  with  my  natural  character.  So 
I  was  soon,  in  my  thought,  in  conversation  with  some  im 
aginary  person  on  home  scenes  and  pleasures,  assuming 
an  animation  that  ought  to  remove  from  the  mind  of  the 
most  suspicious  person  the  fancy  that  I  could  possibly 
have  anything  to  conceal.  I  found  that  my  mental 
allusions  to  what  the  General  said  and  did  were  quite  too 
frequent  and  enthusiastic  to  be  in  accordance  with  my  as 
sumed  character  of  an  unknown  little  wife  and  mother, 
traveling  for  the  innocent  purpose  of  spending  a  few 
days  with  relations,  expecting  her  obscure  husband  to 
come  for  her  after  awhile  from  a  little  farm  that  he  was 
industriously  tilling.  If  I  could  neither  talk  nor  be  silent, 
what  could  I  do? 


$6  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

While  I  wrestled  with  these  perplexities  my  train  of 
thought  was  interrupted  by  the  ringing  of  a  bell  and  a 
loud  voice  shouting: 

"  Passengers  will  please  walk  into  the  custom-house 
office  and  show  their  passports!" 

The  laws  were  so  strict  that  no  one  could  leave  any 
city  in  the  South  without  a  passport  from  the  military 
authorities  stationed  there.  My  grandmother  had  given 
me  her  "  oath  of  allegiance,"  which  everybody  in  those 
dread  days  immediately  after  the  surrender  of  the  army  was 
compelled  to  take,  in  order  to  purchase  medicine,  food  or 
clothing  of  any  sort,  or  for  the  transaction  of  any  kind  of 
business  whatsoever.  It  was  a  rare  occurrence  that  a  man 
was  found  who  would  take  this  iron-clad  oath,  for,  no 
matter  how  great  the  exigencies  might  be,  he  was  branded 
as  a  traitor  if  he  yielded  to  them.  Consequently,  the 
women,  who  were  most  bitter,  too,  in  their  feelings,  were 
obliged  to  make  a  sacrifice  of  their  convictions  and  prin 
ciples,  and  take  this  oath  in  order  to  alleviate  or  prevent 
the  absolute  suffering  of  their  loved  ones.  Illness  in  the 
family  and  the  urgent  necessity  for  quinine  and  salt  left 
my  unselfish  little  grandmother  no  alternative,  and  hav 
ing  taken  this  oath  herself  she  found  in  it  a  kind  of 
safety.  It  had,  at  any  rate,  brought  her  relief,  and  she 
wanted  that  I  should  have  it  with  me,  as  a  sort  of 
"mascot"  or  safeguard. 

With  carpet-bag,  basket  and  baby,  I  started  into  the 
custom-house  office  and  explained  to  the  officer  in  charge: 

"  I  am  very  sorry,  sir,  that  I  have  no  passport.  The 
steamer  was  about  to  sail  as  I  reached  Norfolk.  I  came 
from  a  little  village  thirty  miles  beyond,  where  passports 
are  not  given.  I  have  an  oath  of  allegiance,  if  that  will 
answer  in  its  place." 

The  officer,  laughing,  said: 


CARPE  T-BA  G,  BA  SKE  T  AND  BAB  Y.  3  7 

"  No;  never  mind.  It  is  all  right.  Only  register  your 
name.  I  remember  you  did  come  on  board  just  as  the 
whistle  blew;  but  was  there  not  another  passenger  who 
came  on  with  you  —  a  gentleman?" 

"Yes,  sir,"  I  said.  "  It  was  my  precious  father,  and  he 
went  back  home  on  the  little  sail-boat." 

There  must  have  been  something  to  excite  suspicion 
in  the  way  I  wrote  my  name,  or  else  in  my  manner.  I 
boldly  wrote  out  my  given  name,  and  then  as  I  started  to 
write  my  last  name,  I  looked  all  around  me,  confused, 
and  changed  the  letter  "P"  to  "C,"  writing  "Corbell." 
Then  I  began  to  erase  "  Corbell "  and  write  "  Phillips,"  the 
name  in  my  oath  of  allegiance.  While  there  was  really 
nothing  very  false  in  what  I  did,  I  felt  guilty  and  was 
frightened,  for  I  had  been  brought  up  to  be  strictly  truth 
ful,  and  to  keep  faithfully  even  the  word  of  promise. 

I  had  not  been  long  in  the  saloon  when  baby  became 
restless  and  fretful.  I  was  impatiently  awaiting  the  com 
ing  of  the  captain,  whom  I  had  sent  for,  when  a  man  ap 
peared.  He  had  short,  curly  hair,  deep,  heavy  eyebrows, 
eyes  sunken  and  close  together,  as  if  they  had  to  be 
focused  by  his  big,  hooked  nose  or  they  would  not  be 
able  to  see.  He  was  chewing  alternately  one  end  of  his 
crinkly  moustache  and  one  side  of  his  thick,  red  lip,  and 
was  making  a  sucking  noise  with  his  tongue,  as  he  said: 

"  Madam,  you  sent  for  the  captain  of  the  boat,  I  be 
lieve." 

"Yes,  sir." 

"What  do  you  wish?" 

"  I  want  you  to  be  kind  enough  to  get  my  ticket  and 
stateroom,  please.  My  father  had  not  time  to  see  after 
me.  He  barely  had  time  to  put  me  on  board." 

"Certainly;  with  pleasure.  You  stop  in  Baltimore 
long?" 


38  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

"I  don't  know,"  I  said. 

"You  have  been  there  before,  I  suppose?" 

"Oh,  no;  never.  I  have  been  nowhere  outside  of 
Virginia  and  North  Carolina.  Most  of  my  traveling  be 
fore  my  marriage  was  in  going  to  and  from  Lynchburg, 
where  I  was  at  school. 

"  Lynchburg  is  a  hilly  city.  It  was  founded  by  an 
Irish  emigrant,  John  Lynch,  whose  brother,  Colonel 
Charles  Lynch,  of  Revolutionary  fame,  instituted  the 
lynch-law.  Colonel  Lynch  was  a  great  Whig,  and  too 
impatient  to  wait  for  the  superfluous  ceremony  of  legally 
administering  justice  upon  the  lawless  Tories. 

"  Once  I  rode  on  horseback  to  the  Peaks  of  Otter, 
which  are  among  the  highest  mountains  of  the  South. 
You  can't  imagine  how  glorious  it  was  to  be  up  there  so 
far  away  from  the  earth.  When  I  first  looked  down  from 
their  lofty  heights  the  sky  and  the  earth  seemed  to  be 
touching,  and  presently  the  rain  began  to  pour.  I  could 
see  the  glimmering,  glittering  drops,  but  could  not  hear 
them  fall.  I  was  above  the  clouds  and  the  rain  —  up  in 
the  sunshine  and  stillness,  the  only  audible  sound  a 
strange  supernatural  flapping.  It  was  the  hawks  and 
buzzards  flapping  their  wings.  Suddenly  the  rain  ceased, 
the  haze  vanished,  and  I  saw  below  the  rugged  moun 
tains  and  what  seemed  in  the  distance  a  vast  ocean. 
It  was  the  level  country  below. 

"The  words  of  John  Randolph  echoed  in  my  heart 
with  this  infinite  mystery  of  nature.  He  with  only  a 
servant  had  spent  the  night  on  those  mighty  rocks,  and 
in  the  morning  as  he  was  watching  the  glory  of  the  sun 
rise,  having  no  one  else  to  whom  to  express  his  thought, 
he  pointed  upward  with  his  long,  slender  hand  and 
charged  his  servant  never  from  that  time  to  believe  any 
one  who  said  there  was  no  God. 


CARPE  T-BA  G,  BA  SKE  T  AND  BAB  Y.  39 

'"No,  sah,  Marse  John;  no,  sah,'  said  the  awe-stricken 
servant.  '  I  ain't  a-gwine  ter,  sah.  I  neber  had  no  notion 
er  bedoutin'  sich  a  stronagin  fack  ez  dat  w'at  you  jes' 
say,  nohow,  but  I  'clar  ter  gracious  now,  Marse  John,  atter 
d:s,  I  ain't  gwine  ter  let  none  er  Marse  Thomas  Didy- 
muses'  tempshus  bedoutin'  tricks  cotch  no  holt  'pun  dis 
nigger,  fum  dis  day  forward  fereber  no  mo.' 

"Once,  too,  I- 

"You  have  relatives  in  Baltimore?"  said  the  gentle 
man,  abruptly  interrupting  me;  otherwise,  feeling  that 
geography  and  history  were  safe  subjects,  I  should  have 
rattled  on  till  I  had  told  him  all  I  knew. 

"Yes,  sir,"  said  I.     "  I  am  going  to  visit  them." 

"Where  were  you  from  this  morning?" 

"I  came  from  a  little  country  village  about  thirty 
miles  from  Norfolk  —  Chuckatuck,  a  village  in  Nanse- 
mond  County.  It  used  to  be  the  capital  city  of  a  tribe  of 
Indians  called  the  Nansemums." 

"  I  saw  your  father  as  he  was  leaving  the  steamer.  I 
was  attracted  to  him  because  he  made  an  appeal  to  all 
Masons,  asking  of  them  —  poor  man  —  with  his  hands 
raised  to  God,  their  protection  and  care  for  his  child  and 
grandchild.  He  thus  was  making  himself  known  to  any 
of  us,  his  brothers,  who  might  be  aboard,  when  he  was  lost 
sight  of  by  the  turn  of  the  boat.  So,  you  see,  you  can 
safely  confide  in  me,  and  I  will  help  you  in  any  way  I  can/' 

"Thank  you,"  I  said.  "I  know  my  dear,  dear  papa  is 
a  Mason.  I  know  he  was  anxious  about  me;  but  I  have 
nothing  to  confide  —  nothing.  I  only  want  a  stateroom 
and  my  tickets  and  some  milk  for  the  baby.  I  do  not 
wish  for  any  supper  myself.  I  am  so  lonesome  I  could 
not  eat.  It  is  wicked  to  feel  blue  and  down-hearted, 
with  baby  and  all  the  kind  friends  to  watch  over  me,  as 
you  say;  and  then,  too,  God  is  always  near." 


40  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

"Yes,  that  is  true.  Did  you  lose  your  husband  in  the 
war?" 

"No,  sir." 

"  He  was  in  the  war,  though,  was  he  not?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

A  fear  came  into  my  heart  that  I  was  talking  too 
much.  I  did  not  want  him  to  know  anything  concerning 
my  husband,  whose  rank  I  especially  desired  to  keep  se 
cret.  I  encouraged  myself  with  the  reflection  that  the 
end  justified  the  means,  even  though  I  might  deviate 
slightly  from  the  truth,  and  said: 

"You  could  not  have  heard  of  him,  and  he  was  not 
of  sufficient  rank  to  have  made  an  impression  upon  you, 
even  if  you  had." 

"Where  is  he  now?" 

"In  the  country." 

"And  you  are  leaving  him?" 

"  For  a  little  while,  only." 

Then  he  talked  of  how  much  the  Southerners  had  lost, 
and  how  much  they  had  to  forgive;  how  easy  it  was  to  bear 
victory  and  how  hard  to  bear  defeat,  and  said  that  if  he  had 
been  born  South  he  would  have  been  a  rebel,  and  that  his 
sympathies  even  now  were  with  the  Southern  people. 

Then  a  sudden  suspicion  came  to  me,  and  I  said: 

"  I  wish  there  had  never  been  any  rebels  at  all;  no,  not 
even  the  first  rebel,  George  Washington;  and,  now,  sir, 
please,  1  do  not  want  to  talk  about  the  war.  I  am  very 
weary  and  sleepy,  and  would  like  to  retire.  If  you  please, 
sir,  will  you  get  me  my  stateroom  and  ticket?  I  am  so 
tired  —  so  very  tired." 

Baby  was  lying  asleep  on  my  lap,  hypnotized  by  the 
chandeliers.  The  man  looked  down  on  him  for  a  mo 
ment,  and  then  said,  "Of  course,  I  will  get  them  for  you," 
and  was  going,  when  an  ex-Confederate  officer,  one  of  my 


CARPE T-BA G,  BA SKE T  AND  BABY.         41 

husband's  old  comrades  and  friends,  came  up  and,  cor 
dially  reaching  out  his  hand,  said: 

"  How  do  you  do,  Mrs.  Pickett?  Where  is  the  General? 
What  are  you  doing  here,  and  where  are  you  going?" 

He  himself  was  returning  to  his  home  in  the  far  South, 
but  had  been  called  back  to  Baltimore  on  business. 

"  Thank  you,  General  B ,"  I  said.  "  My  husband  has 

gone  to  farming.  He  has  turned  his  sword  into  a  plow 
share,  and  1  am  going  to  visit  his  aunt,  whom  I  have 
never  seen.  He  is  to  come  to  us  after  a  little  while; 
could  not  leave  conveniently  just  now.  He  is  very  well,  I 
thank  you." 

"  I  am  so  glad  to  have  seen  you,"  he  said.  "  Will  see 
you  later  on,"  andwas  hobblingaway  on  his  crutches.  He 
saw  by  my  manner  that  he  had  said  something  to  embar 
rass  me,  something  hurtful  to  me,  and  left  with  a  pained 
look.  He  was  dressed  in  his  old  Confederate  gray. 
The  brass  buttons  had  all  been  cut  off,  in  obedience  to  the 
order  at  the  custom-house  office. 

For  several  moments  not  a  word  was  spoken.  Then 
I  looked  up  and  said: 

"  My  tickets  and  stateroom,  please." 

"  I  thought  you  said  your  name  was  Corbell,"  said  he 
of  the  hooked  nose,  as  he  held  my  money  shaking  in  his 
hand.  "  I  thought  you  said  your  husband's  rank  was  not 
sufficient  to  have  made  an  impression;  that  in  all  proba 
bility  I  had  never  heard  of  him." 

Oh,  that  smacking  sound  of  jaw  and  tongue,  and  that 
beak  of  a  nose,  and  those  little  black  eyes  which  grew  into 
Siamese  twins  as  they  glared  at  me  like  a  snake!  He  did 
not  move,  but  said,  while  an  undefined  fear  of  him  made 
me  tremble  and  grow  cold: 

"  Your  name  was  Corbell,  and  your  husband  was  in  the 
country.  He  was  an  officer  of  low  rank." 


42  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

He  repeated  this,  more  to  himself  than  \o  me. 

"Did  I  say  that?"  I  said,  and,  with  a  face  all  hon 
esty  and  truth,  I  looked  straight  into  those  eyes,  divided 
by  that  vulture  feature,  and  told,  without  blushing,  with 
out  a  tremor  in  my  voice,  the  first  deliberate  falsehood  I 
had  ever  told: 

"Did  I  say  so?  Well,  my  mind  has  been  unbalanced, 
my  friends  think,  by  the  way  the  war  has  ended,  and  they 
are  sending  me  from  home  to  new  scenes  and  new  asso 
ciations  to  divert  me,  with  the  hope  of  making  me  well 
and  strong  again.  Corbell  was  my  maiden  name,  but  I  do 
not  know  how  I  happened  to  say  that  my  husband's  rank 
was  low,  for  I  was  so  proud  of  it.  I  could  not  have  been 
thinking.  Won't  you  please  be  so  good  as  to  get  my 
ticket?  I  am  so  tired  I  don't  know  what  I  am  saying." 

He  went  away,  and  the  stateroom  keys  were  brought 
to  me  by  a  waitress.  She  unlocked  the  door  for  me.  I 
went  in,  too  frightened  now  to  think  of  supper,  too 
frightened  to  sleep,  and  wondering  if,  in  my  imprudence, 
I  had  hurt  my  husband  and  what  would  happen  if  I  had. 

All  night  long  the  noise  of  the  wheel  was  to  me  the 
ax  of  the  executioner.  All  night  long  it  rose  and  fell 
through  seas,  not  of  water,  but  of  blood  —  the  heart's 
blood  of  valiant  men,  of  devoted  women,  of  innocent 
little  children.  All  night  long  it  went  up  and  down, 
dripping  from  the  awful  sea — dripping  with  my  hus 
band's  blood,  with  my  father's,  with  the  blood  of  all  the 
friends  I  had  known  and  loved.  Then  it  seemed  as 
if  all  the  world  but  me  had  been  slain  to  make  that  dread 
sea,  and  I  was  doomed  to  move  over  it  forever,  with  the 
sound  of  the  crushing  wheels  grinding  my  heart  to  powder 
and  never  consuming  me.  Why  had  I,  of  the  whole  human 
race,  been  left  alone  to  go  always  up  and  down  in  that 
horrible  waste  of  blood?  Near  morning  I  fell  asleep  and 


CARPET-BAG,   BASKET  AND  BABY.  43 

dreamed  that  it  was  I  who  had  destroyed  all  that  world  of 
people  whose  life-blood  surged  around  me  with  a  mad 
dening  roar,  and  that  I  was  destined  to  an  eternity  of 
remorse. 

When  I  awoke  the  boat  had  landed.  I  got  up  and 
dressed  hurriedly.  Starting  to  go  out,  I  found  that  the 
door  was  locked  on  the  outside.  The  chambermaid 
not  answering  my  repeated  call,  I  beckoned  to  a  sailor 
passing  the  window  and  begged  that  he  would  tell 
the  chambermaid  that  I  was  locked  in  and  ask  her 
to  come  and  let  me  out.  She  came  to  the  door  and 
said: 

"You  can  not  get  out." 

"I  do  not  understand,"  I  said.  "Are  we  not  at  Bal 
timore?" 

An  officer  was  with  her,  who  answered: 

"Yes,  but  you  can  not  get  off,  madam.  You  are  to  be 
detained  upon  the  boat  until  the  authorities  come  and 
either  release  or  imprison  you.  You  are  supposed  to  be 
a  suspicious  character." 

On  a  slip  of  paper  I  wrote: 

"A  Master  Mason's  wife  and  daughter  in  distress  de 
mands  in  their  name  that  you  will  come  to  her." 

I  said  to  the  chambermaid: 

"Will  you  give  this  to  the  captain?" 

On  her  hesitating,  the  officer  said: 

"You  might  as  well." 

She  went.  In  a  little  while  —  a  very  little  while  —  be 
fore  I  thought  she  could  possibly  have  reached  the  cap 
tain,  while  I  was  trying  to  hush  the  baby,  who  was  hungry, 
a  voice  as  kind  and  gentle  as  the  benevolent  face  into 
which  I  looked,  said: 

"What  can  I  do  for  you,  madam?     You  sent  for  me." 

"  No,  sir,"  I  said,  "  I  sent  for  the  captain  of  the  boat, 


44  PICK'S  TT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

but  I  am  glad  you  came;  you  seem  so  kind,  and  may  help 
me  in  some  way  in  my  trouble." 

"I  am  the  captain  of  the  boat,"  he  said.  "What  can 
I  do  for  you?" 

"You  are  not  the  gentleman  who  represented  himself 
as  the  captain  of  the  boat  last  night,  sir,  and  bought  for 
me  my  ticket.  He  was  short  and  dark  — 

As  I  was  describing  the  pseudo-captain  the  gentleman 
interrupted  me  with: 

"  He  is  a  Federal  detective,  madam,  and  has  advised 
that  you  be  detained  on  the  steamer  until  his  return  with 
the  authorities  and  warrant." 

"  But,"  I  said,  "  he  told  me  he  had  seen  my  father, 
as  he  left  the  steamer,  make  the  sign  of  a  Master  Mason 
in  distress,  placing  me  in  the  care,  not  only  of  himself,  but 
of  all  Masons  on  this  steamer,  and  he  told  me  I  was  safe 
and  protected  in  their  care,  and  he  asked  my  confidence, 
but  I  had  none  to  give  him.  He  suspects  me  of  what?" 

The  captain  said: 

"Your  father  did  make  that  sign;  your  father  did 
place  you  in  our  care.  His  appeal  was  to  all  Masons,  and 
in  their  protection  he  did  leave  you.  Come;  I  am  cap 
tain  of  this  steamer,  and  a  captain  is  king  on  his  own 
boat.  Where  did  you  say  you  wished  to  go?  Stand 
aside,"  he  said  to  the  officer  in  charge. 

Giving  me  his  arm,  he  placed  me  and  baby,  carpet 
bag  and  basket,  in  a  carriage  and  the  driver  was  told  to 
drive  to  97  Brenton  street. 

"Yis,  sor,"  said  the  Irishman.  "97  Brinton  strate, 
shure." 

"God  bless  you  and  watch  over  you!  Good-by,  lit 
tle  baby." 

After  driving  some  time,  the  Irishman  impatiently 
told  me  there  was  no  street  by  that  name  and  I  would 


CARPET-BAG,  BASKET  AND  BABY.  45 

have  to  get  out,  but  not  until  I  had  paid  him  for  the  two 
hours  he  had  been  hunting  "for  the  same." 

"  I  will  pay  you  the  money,"  said  I,  "  but  there  must  be 
such  a  place.  Come,  here  is  the  letter  and  the  instructions." 

"There's  no  place  of  the  koind,  an'  the  letther  is  all 
wrong,"  he  said,  spelling  it  out,  "an"  phat's  to  be  done, 
an'  where  am  I  to  be  laving  you?  It's  to  the  daypo  I've 
got  to  be  afther  going  to  now." 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know,"  I  said.  "  Why  did  you  not  tell  the 
captain  of  the  steamer  you  did  not  know,  and  have  him 
tell  you  where  to  go?" 

"Shure,  I  thought  you  would  be  afther  knowin'  yure 
own  moind,  an'  there's  no  one  knows  the  place  betther 
'an  the  loikes  of  me  an'  it's  there  to  be  a-finding." 

I  did  not  know  enough  to  get  out  and  go  to  a  drug 
store  and  hunt  in  the  directory.  I  was  at  my  wits'  end, 
if  I  had  ever  had  any  wits.  There  was  not  a  soul  in  the 
city  that  I  knew.  I  thought  of  the  captain  of  the  boat, 
the  only  friend  I  had,  yet  I  was  afraid  to  go  back  to  seek 
him  for  fear  the  power  he  had  would  not  be  strong  enough 
to  protect  me,  once  I  had  left  his  boat.  I  could  think  of 
no  one  else,  nowhere  else  to  go,  and  there  was  that  in 
the  captain's  voice  and  manner  of  daring  and  strength 
that  made  me  willing  to  trust  myself  with  him,  so  I  said: 

"  Drive  me  back  to  the  captain  of  the  boat,  please.  I 
don't  know  what  else  to  do." 

When  I  went  on  board  the  captain  was  not  yet  gone, 
which  was  an  unusual  thing.  He  had  waited  to  see  the 
officers  before  leaving.  I  answered  the  smile  that  came 
into  his  face,  in  spite  of  his  kind  heart,  by  handing  him 
my  aunt's  letter,  who  wrote  not  only  a  very  peculiar  hand, 
but  a  very  illegible  one,  saying: 

"Read,  captain,  and  see  if  this  is  not  Brenton 
street,  the  place  my  aunt  has  written  me  I  must  come." 


46  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

" '  Go  to  97  Brenton  street,  where  my  niece^  Mrs.  C 

will  bring  you  to  my  house,'  "  he  read.  "  It  might  be  any 
thing  else  as  well  as  Brenton,"  he  said.  "It  looks  like 
'Brenton,'  but  I  have  lived  here  all  my  life  and  have 
never  heard  of  such  a  street.  I'll  get  my  directory,  how 
ever,  and  look.  No,"  he  said,  "  but  it  may  be  Preston ;  let's 

look,  but  there  are  no  C s  living  there.  You  might  try 

this  house,  at  any  rate,  97  Preston  street,  and  if  you  do  not 
find  your  friends  living  there  then  come  to  this  number, 
where  my  wife  and  I  will  be  happy  to  have  you  as  our 
guest,  you  and  the  little  lost  bird,  till  you  can  write  to  your 
friends  and  find  out  where  they  do  want  you  to  come." 

Off  again  I  started  with  the  Irishman,  who  had  become 
interested  in  me  by  this  time,  and  had  forgotten  all  about 
the  depot. 

"  Here  you  are,  marm,  97  Priston  strate,  an'  a  nice 
house  it  is,  marm.  Shall  I  take  yure  things  in,  marm?" 

"  No;  first  take  up  my  card,  if  your  horses  will  stand." 

"Av  coorse,  marm,  an'  they  will." 

I  wrote  on  my  card: 

"Does  Mrs.  C •  live  here  —  a  niece  of  Mrs.  S ?" 

In  a  moment  there  were  two  or  three  faces  at  the 
windows,  and  in  another  moment  as  many  voices  at  the 
carriage-door,  asking,  "Is  this  George  Pickett's  wife  and 
child?"  and  I  was  so  thankful  to  be  once  more  where 
they  knew  George  Pickett's  wife  and  child. 

Besides  the  lovely  people  whose  home  it  was,  there  was 
with  them,  on  her  way  to  her  mother's,  a  daughter  of  Mrs. 

S ,  Mrs.  General  B ,  who  was  one  of  the  most 

charming  women  I  ever  met.  She  had  just  returned  from 
the  South.  Her  husband,  too,  was  in  the  Confederate 
army.  The  next  day  we  both  went  out  to  her  mother's, 
my  husband's  aunt's  home. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


The  week  I  spent  in  Hartford  County,  Maryland,  at 
the  General's  aunt's  reminded  me  of  my  childhood,  when 
I  used  to  play  that  I  was  a  "  Princess  or  a  Beggar,"  or 
"  Morgiana  of  the  Forty  Thieves,"  or  "The  White  Cat," 
or  whatever  character  it  would  please  me  to  select  to 
play,  for  my  heart  and  soul  were  separated  from  my 
body.  I  was  not  what  I  pretended  to  be.  My  body 
went  to  parties  and  receptions  and  dinners,  and  re 
ceived  people  and  drove  and  paid  calls,  while  my  soul 
waited  with  intense  longing  for  the  telegram,  "  Edwards 
is  better." 

One  day  I  had  been_  out  to  dine  and,  coming  home, 
found  awaiting  me  the  message  for  which  eyes  and  heart 
had  been  looking  for  a  time  that  seemed  almost  eternal. 

That  night  I  took  the  train  for  New  York,  starting  out 
all  alone  again,  baby  and  I.  I  was  tired  and  sleepy,  but 
there  was  such  joy  and  gladness  in  my  heart  as  I  thought 
of  so  soon  seeing  my  husband  that  I  did  not  think  of 
my  discomforts.  I  repeated  the  telegram,  "  Edwards  is 
better,  Edwards  is  better,  "  over  and  over  again.  I  sang 
it  as  a  lullaby,  putting  baby  to  sleep  to  the  measure  of  the 
happy  words,  "  Edwards  is  better.  "  I  crooned  it  softly 
with  shut  lips,  lest  some  stranger  should  hear  the  precious 
words,  "  Edwards  is  better.  "  Only  for  baby  and  me  was 
that  sweet  refrain.  When  baby  slept  I  leaned  back  and 
closed  my  eyes  and  saw  a  world  of  beauty  and  bloom  as 
the  glad  words  went  dancing  through  my  heart.  Was 

47 


48  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

there  ever  so  sweet  a  slumber-song  since  babies  were  first 
invented  to  awaken  the  deepest  melody  of  mother  hearts? 

I  went  to  sleep  with  baby  in  my  arms.  I  had  not 
money  enough  to  get  a  berth  —  just  barely  enough  to  buy 
my  ticket  and  pay  my  expenses  through  to  Montreal, 
Canada,  from  which  point  the  telegram  was  dated. 

When  I  awakened  later  I  found  that  a  homespun  shawl 
had  been  placed  under  my  head.  I  never  thought  about 
who  had  been  so  kind,  nor  why  the  shawl  was  there.  All 
my  life  long  every  one  had  been  thoughtful  of  me;  things 
had  been  done  for  me,  courtesies  had  been  extended  to 
me,  and  I  had  learned  to  accept  kindnesses  as  only  what 
I  had  a  right  to  expect  from  the  human  race.  Murmuring 
softly  the  comforting  words,  "Edwards  is  better,"  I 
turned  my  face  over  and  went  to  sleep  again  on  the  shawl. 
I  slept  until  my  baby  became  restless  from  the  jolting. 

We  took  the  steamer  up  the  Hudson  from  New  York 
to  Albany.  Something  made  poor  little  baby  sick.  I 
censured  myself  for  having  allowed  him  to  catch  cold  on 
the  train  while  I  was  sleeping.  He  was  teething,  and  was 
very  fretful.  He  had  been  used,  too,  to  his  nurse,  his 
black  mammy.  He  missed  her  customary  care  and  atten 
tion,  his  cradle  and  rocking,  and  was  unhappy  and  could 
not  understand  it.  She  used  to  give  him  his  bath,  to  sing  to 
him  her  negro  melodies,  and  to  dance  him  up  and  down 
in  her  strong  arms,  only  bringing  him  to  me  for  his  daily 
nourishment  and  kisses  and  my  own  enjoyment  of  him, 
or  when  sometimes  she  wanted  to  go  to  her  meals  before 
Thomas  was  ready  to  put  him  in  his  little  wagon.  So,  in 
his  discomfort,  he  would  reach  out  his  hands  and  nod  to 
anybody  to  take  him.  He  was  tired  of  me,  and  thought 
that  I  must,  in  some  way,  be  the  cause  of  all  these 
privations  and  the  pain  and  suffering  he  was  then  under 
going. 


' '  ED  WARDS  IS  BE  TTER. ' '  49 

The  philanthropic  ladies  on  board  the  steamer  seemed 
very  much  concerned,  and  at  a  loss  to  understand  why  he 
was  so  unhappy  with  me,  and,  apparently,  preferred  any 
body  and  everybody  else. 

"  Nurse,  why  do  you  not  take  the  child  to  its  mother?" 
one  would  say,  and  a  look  of  incredulity  would  follow  my 
assertion  that  I  was  its  mother.  "Then,  why  don't  you 
quiet  the  child,  if  you  are,  and  find  out  what  is  the  matter 
with  it?"  and  so  on. 

How  indignant  I  was!  Something  in  my  manner  must 
have  made  them  believe  that  it  was  not  all  right  with  me 
and  the  child,  for  they  followed  me  about,  asking  many 
intrusive  questions  and  making  many  offensive  remarks. 

The  crying  of  the  baby  was  as  disagreeable  to  them  as 
it  was  distressing  to  me,  and  I  was  walking  the  deck,  try 
ing  to  quiet  him,  all  tired  and  worn  out  as  I  was,  when  a 
gentleman  came  up  to  me.  On  his  shoulder  I  recognized 
the  shawl  that  had  been  put  under  my  head  on  the  cars 
the  night  before.  It  introduced  "one  of  the  least  of 
these."  He  said: 

"  Madam,  excuse  me,  but  I  do  not  think  you  have  had 
any  dinner,  and  you  must  be  worn  out  with  hunger  and 
fatigue  from  fasting  and  carrying  the  baby.  Won't  you 
let  me  hold  him  while  you  go  down  and  eat  something?" 

Even  though  he  carried  the  shawl  which  bespoke  my 
faith,  I  was  afraid  to  trust  him  with  so  precious  a  treasure 
as  my  baby,  and  would  rather  have  starved  than  have  per 
mitted  it  to  go  out  of  my  sight. 

"Thank  you,  very  much,  but  I  could  not  think  of 
troubling  you, "  I  said.  "No  —  oh,  no." 

Then  said  he: 

"  May  I  order  something  for  you  here?  " 

I  was  hungry,  and  was  so  glad  for  the  open  way  he  had 
found  for  me,  and  said,  "  Yes, "  handing  him  twenty-five 

4 


SO  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

cents.  It  was  all  I  could  afford  to  pay  for  dinner,  but 
as  I  looked  at  the  tray  when  it  was  brought  to  me,  I 
thought,  "How  cheap  things  must  be  in  New  York," 
for  there  was  soup  and  fish  —  a  kind  of  yellow  fish  I  had 
never  seen  before,  salmon,  I  afterward  learned  it  was  — 
stewed  with  green  peas,  a  bird,  some  asparagus  and  pota 
toes,  ice-cream,  a  cup  of  coffee  and  a  glass  of  sherry. 

Upon  his  insisting  that  perhaps  it  would  be  restful  to 
the  baby,  I  let  him  hold  it  while  I  ate  my  dinner.  I  did 
not  know  how  hungry  I  was,  nor  how  much  I  was  in  need 
of  nourishment.  Baby  immediately  became  quiet  in  his 
arms.  Whether  it  was  the  change  or  not,  I  do  not  know, 
but  in  a  little  while  he  was  fast  asleep.  I  covered  him  up 
with  the  shawl  to  which  the  gentleman  pointed,  finished 
eating  my  delicious  dinner,  taking  my  time  and  enjoying 
it,  while  he  read  his  book  and  held  my  baby.  When  the 
servant  came  and  took  away  the  tray,  I  arose  and,  thank 
ing  the  stranger  for  his  kindness,  said: 

"  I  will  take  the, baby  now,  if  you  please." 

"  If  you  would  rather,"  he  said,  "  yes,  but  I  think  he  will 
be  more  comfortable  with  me  for  awhile.  Then,  too,  you 
might  awaken  him  if  you  moved  him.  Let  me  hold  him 
while  you  rest.  Here  is  a  sweet  little  book,  if  you  would 
like  to  read  it.  I  think,  however,  it  would  be  better  for  you 
to  rest;  to  sleep,  if  you  could.  You  look  really  fagged  out." 

The  book  he  gave  me  was  a  child's  book  —  it  may  have 
been  "Fern  Leaves."  I  can't  remember  the  name,  but 
written  on  the  fly-leaf,  in  a  child's  irregular  hand,  were 
these  words: 

For  my  dear  darly  popsy  who  is  gon  to  fite  the  war  fum  his  little 
darly  dorter  little  mary 

Dear  popsy  don  kill  the  por  yangees  and  don  let  the  yangees  kill 
you  my  por  popsy  little  mary 

Dear  popsy  com  back  soon  to  me  an  mama  an  grandad  thats  all 
I  says  your  prayers  popsy  ebry  day  fum  little  mary 


"EDWARDS  IS  BETTER."  51 

Beneath  little  Mary's  name  was  this  line: 

Little  Mary  died  on  the  i6th  of  May,  1864  —  her  fifth  birthday. 

1  rested,  but  thought  of  little  Mary  as  I  watched  my 
own  baby  who  was  sleeping  so  sweetly  in  this  childless 
stranger's  arms  —  till  presently  the  waves  brought  back  to 
me  the  days  of  my  childhood  —  the  story  of  the  sailor  with 
his  stolen  mill,  grinding  out  salt,  forever  and  forever,  and 
the  lost  talisman  lost  still  —  back  to  my  grandmother's 
knee,  listening  with  wonder-eyes  to  "  Why  the  sea  is 
salt,"  the  while  my  soul  anon  chanted  to  music  those  all- 
healing,  blissful  words,  "  Edwards  is  better,"  gaining 
strength  for  the  o'erhanging  trial  I  least  dreamed  of  — 
and  the  shadows  rose  to  make  place  for  one  darker  still. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

ONE  WOMAN  REDEEMED  THEM  ALL. 

My  attention  was  attracted  by  a  man  in  close  con 
versation  with  the  conductor.  I  was  evidently  the  object 
of  it,  for  they  would  look  carefully  over  the  paper  they 
held  and  then  at  me,  as  if  comparing  me  with  something 
therein  described.  Had  I  been  a  hardened  criminal,  they 
would  probably  not  have  taken  the  risk  of  thus  warning 
me  of  the  fact  that  I  was  under  suspicion.  As  my  ap 
pearance  would  seem  to  indicate  that,  if  a  law-breaker,  I 
was  a  mere  tyro  in  vice,  they  supposed  they  could  safely 
take  notes  of  me.  I  was  absolutely  sure  that  I  was  the 
subject  of  the  conversation,  and  trembled  with  a  pre 
sentiment  of  coming  evil.  I  tried  in  vain  to  turn  my 
face  toward  the  window,  but  my  eyes  seemed  fascinated. 
A  thousand  preposterous  fears  passed  in  review  through 
my  mind,  though  the  real  one  never  suggested  itself.  I 
endeavored  to  dispel  them  each  in  turn,  arguing  that  the 
scrutiny  of  the  men  foreboded  nothing,  because  I  seemed 
an  object  of  curiosity  to  everybody,  and  now,  as  I  recall 
my  appearance,  I  don't  wonder,  for  I  was  very  odd-looking. 

In  the  first  place,  I  was  dressed  so  quaintly  and  looked 
so  entirely  unlike  those  around  me,  and  was  all  uncon 
scious  of  any  peculiarity  or  deficiency  in  my  apparel  — 
being  garmented  in  my  very  best,  the  traveling-gown, 
etc.,  in  which  I  had  been  married,  and  which  had  been 
bought  and  made  under  such  difficulties,  and  kept  after 
ward  with  such  scrupulous  care.  So  I  was  perfectly  well 
satisfied  with  myself. 

52 


ONE  WOMAN  REDEEMED   THEM  ALL.  53 

I  wore  a  long,  loose-fitting  black  silk  mantilla  with 
three  ruffles  at  the  bottom,  while  those  around  me  were 
dressed  in  tight-fitting,  short  cloth  jackets.  My  bonnet 
was  of  gray  straw,  plaited  and  dyed  by  the  servants  on 
the  plantation  at  home,  and  sewed  into  shape  by  our  fash 
ionable  village  milliner;  a  poke  shape,  extending  far  over 
the  face,  a  wreath  of  pink  moss-rosebuds  on  the  inside, 
tangled  in  with  my  dark-brown  hair,  while  it  was  trimmed 
on  the  outside  with  several  clusters  and  bunches  of 
grapes  of  a  lighter  shade  of  gray,  also  hand-made.  The 
grapes  were  formed  of  picked  cotton,  covered  with 
fleek-skin*  and  then  tinted.  My  collar  was  one  of  my 
bridal  presents  —  from  our  pastor's  wife  —  made  of  tat 
ting  and  embroidery,  about  five  inches  wide,  and  was 
pinned  in  front  with  a  lava  breast-pin.  The  prevailing 
collar  worn  by  the  fashionable  world  was  made  of  linen, 
very  narrow,  only  an  edge  of  it  showing,  while  very  small, 
jaunty  hats,  worn  back  on  the  head,  were  the  style. 

The  conductor  seemed  to  be  arguing  with  this  man 
as  I  caught  his  eye,  and  just  then  my  baby  sprang  forward 
and  snatched  the  newspaper  from  an  old  gentleman  who 
was  sitting,  reading  it,  in  front  of  me,  and  shrieked  when 
it  was  loosened  from  his  baby  hands,  while  the  old  gen 
tleman  looked  daggers  in  answer  to  my  apologies;  but, 
thank  heaven!  when  I  looked  again  after  this  diversion, 
the  two  men  were  gone. 

I  had  just  settled  back,  a  little  unnerved  and  weak, 
however,  when  from  behind  me  came  a  touch  on  my 
shoulder,  and,  turning  around,  I  saw  the  officer  and  the 
conductor.  The  former  said,  "  I  have  a  warrant  for  your 
arrest,  madam,"  and  forthwith  served  it  upon  me. 

There  on  the  cars,  all  alone,  miles  away  from  home 
and  friends,  two  dollars  and  ten  cents  all  my  little  store, 

*  Fleek-skin  is  the  thin  covering  of  leaf  lard. 


54  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

I  was  arrested  for  —  stealing!  Stealing  my  own  child! 
I  could  not  read  the  warrant  as  it  trembled  in  my  hands 
—  I  had  never  seen  one  before.  Baby  thought  it  was  a 
compromise  for  the  old  gentleman's  paper,  and  it  was 
with  difficulty  rescued  from  him. 

As  soon  as  my  confused  wits  grasped  the  meaning  of 
this  I  said: 

"This  baby?  This  baby,  sir?  It  is  mine  —  mine  — it 
is  named  after  its  father  —  it  is  mine!  I  can  prove  it  by 
everybody  in  the  world,  and " 

"Well,  well,"  said  the  conductor  kindly,  as  his  voice 
trembled,  "that's  all  he  wants,  lady.  You  will  only 
have  to  be  detained,  in  all  probability,  till  the  next  train." 

"  But  I  must  go  on,"  I  said,  "  for  my  husband  is  looking 
for  me,  and  I  could  not  stand  staying  away  another  min 
ute  longer  than  the  time  at  which  he  expects  me.  Please, 
everybody,  help  me." 

Some  were  too  refined  even  to  look  toward  me;  others 
merely  glanced  over  their  glasses  or  looked  up  from  their 
books  and  went  on  reading.  Some  kept  their  faces  care 
fully  turned  toward  the  landscape;  and  a  few,  just  as 
heartless  and  more  vulgar,  gazed  in  open-mouthed  curi 
osity. 

One  woman's  good  heart,  thank  God,  redeemed  them 
all.  She  came  forward,  her  tender  blue  eyes  moist  with 
sympathy,  her  black  crepe  veil  thrown  back  from  her 
lovely  face  and  her  waving  hair  with  the  silver  threads 
among  the  gold  all  too  soon,  and  said,  in  a  voice  so 
sweet  that  it  might  have  come  from  the  hearts  of  the 
lilies  of  the  valley  that  she  wore  bunched  at  her  swan- 
white  throat: 

"  Come,  I  will  stop  off  with  you  if  it  must  be.  Let 
me  see  the  paper." 

Simultaneously  with  her,  the  gentleman  of  the  home- 


ONE   WOMAN  REDEEMED   THEM  ALL.  55 

spun  shawl  came  from  I  don't  know  where,  and  asked, 
too,  to  see  the  paper,  and  both  got  off  the  train  with 
me. 

I  was  so  weak  I  could  hardly  hold  or  carry  my  baby, 
for  all  at  once  there  came  over  me  the  sense  of  my  utter 
helplessness  to  prove  that  my  child  was  my  own.  There 
was  no  one  I  could  telegraph  to  without  exposing  who 
and  what  I  was,  and  where,  and  perhaps  why,  I  was 
going.  A  telegram  to  my  friends  at  home  not  only  might 
betray  me,  but  would  alarm  them.  A  telegram  to  my 
husband  would  jeopardize  his  safety,  for  he  would  surely 
come  to  me  at  once. 

"Look!  Look!"  I  said  to  the  magistrate  and  officers, 
as  they  read  aloud  the  suspicions  and  accusations  of  the 
philanthropic  ladies  who  were  with  me  on  board  the 
Albany  steamer,  and  who,  in  their  zeal  to  secure  a  right 
and  correct  a  wrong,  without  understanding  the  causes  of 
my  child's  discomfort  and  unhappiness  with  me,  or  the 
reasons  for  my  rather  suspicious  manner  and  embarrass 
ment,  had  caused  my  arrest. 

Thus  do  the  pure  and  holy  ever  keep  guard  over  the 
sins  of  the  world  and  throw  the  cable-cord  of  justice 
around  the  unregenerate  to  drag  them  perforce  into  the 
path  of  rectitude.  May  they  reap  the  reward  to  which 
their  virtues  entitle  them! 

"  Look  at  its  eyes  and  look  at  mine,"  holding  his  little 
face  up  against  my  own.  "  Can't  you  every  one  see  that 
it  is  my  child — my  very  own  child?" 

"  That  may  be,  but  give  us  the  name  of  some  one  to 
whom  we  may  telegraph  —  some  tangible  proof.  If  it  is 
all  right,  there  must  be  some  one  who  knows  you  and  who 
can  testify  in  your  behalf." 

"  No,  no,"  I  said,  "there  is  no  one.  I  have  nobody  to 
help  me,  and  if  God  does  not  show  you  all  some  way,  and 


$6  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

your  own  hearts  do  not  convince  you,  I  dort't  know  what 
I  shall  do." 

My  poor,  little,  half-starved,  in-litigation  baby  refused 
to  be  comforted.  The  kind  gentleman  with  the  shawl 
could  amuse  him  no  longer.  He  had  dashed  from  him 
the  keys,  and  pushed  the  watch  from  his  ear,  and  de 
manded  impatiently  of  me  the  rights  of  sustenance.  The 
dear,  good  woman  beside  me,  with  the  smile  of  the  re 
deemed  lighting  up  her  face,  touched  mine,  whispering  in 
my  ear  while  I  held  baby's  hands  to  prevent  him  in  his  im 
patience  from  tearing  apart  my  mantle  and  untying  my 
bonnet-strings: 

"Do  you  nurse  your  baby?" 

11  Yes,"  I  said,  "and  he  is  so  hungry  —  poor  little  thing." 

Then  she  stood  up,  leaning  on  her  cane,  for  she  was 
slightly  lame,  and  said  in  a  voice  clear  and  sweet: 

"Gentlemen,  I  have  a  witness"  —my  heart  almost 
stood  still  —  "  here,  in  the  child  who  can  not  speak.  It  is 
not  always  a  proof  of  motherhood,  but  with  the  circum 
stantial  evidence  and  the  youth  of  this  mother,  this  be 
yond  peradventure  is  proof  convincing.  The  child  is  still 
nourished  from  her  own  body,"  and  she  opened  my  mantle. 

I,  who  had  never  nursed  my  baby  in  the  presence  of 
even  my  most  intimate  friends,  bared  my  bosom  before 
all  those  strange  men  and  v/omen  and  nursed  him  as  proof 
that  I  was  his  mother,  while  tears  of  gratitude  to  the  sweet 
friend  and  to  God  flowed  down  my  cheeks  and  dropped 
on  baby's  face  as  he  wonderingly  looked  up,  trying  to 
pick  off  the  tears  with  his  little  dimpled  fingers,  and  thank 
fully  enjoyed  the  proof ".  The  men  turned  aside  and  tears 
flowed  down  more  than  one  rugged  face.  The  kind 
stranger  with  the  shawl  lifted  his  eyes  heavenward  as  if 
in  thanksgiving,  and  then  turned  them  earthward  and 
breathed  a  bitter  curse,  deep  and  heartfelt.  Perhaps  the 


ONE  WOMAN  REDEEMED  THEM  ALL.  tf 

recording  angel  jotted  down  the  curse  on  the  credit  side 
of  the  ledger  with  as  great  alacrity  as  he  registered  there 
the  prayer  of  thanks. 

I  trust  that  the  philanthropic  ladies,  when  the  evidence 
was  sent  them,  were  as  surely  convinced  as  all  these  peo 
ple  were,  that  I  had  not  stolen  my  child.  I  hope  they 
were  pleased  by  this  indication  of  the  existence  of  some 
degree  of  innocence  in  the  world,  outside  of  their  own 
virtuous  hearts,  but — I  don't  know. 

"  Take  thy  fledgling,  poor  mother  dove,  under  thy 
trembling  wings,  back  to  its  nest  and  the  father  bird's 
care.  I  shall  go  a  few  miles  further  where  I  stop  to  see 
my  baby,"  said  my  new  friend.  "  This  little  boy  who 
brought  me  back  to  life  is  older  than  yours.  He  is  the 
child  of  my  only  son,  whose  young  life  ebbed  out  on  the 
battle-field  of  Gettysburg,  and  whose  sweet  spirit  has 
joined  that  of  his  noble  father,  my  husband,  which,  in  his 
very  first  battle,  was  freed.  This  baby  blesses  our  lives  — 
the  young  mother's  and  the  old  mother's." 

The  train  due  twenty  minutes  before  was  signaled; 
baby  finished  his  "  proof"  on  the  car  which  was  taking  me 
faster  and  faster  to  the  loving  heart  and  protecting  care 
that  even  this  kind  stranger  saw  how  sadly  I  needed. 
The  friend  so  kind  to  me  on  the  steamer  succeeded  in 
getting  us  seats,  though  apart. 

The  cars  were  crowded  with  soldiers  returning  home 
after  the  war;  disbanded  soldiers,  soldiers  on  furlough, 
and  the  released  prisoners,  with  their  pale,  cadaverous, 
unshaven  faces  and  their  long,  unkempt  hair.  One  from 
Andersonville,  more  emaciated  and  ragged  than  the  others, 
was  selling  his  pictures  and  describing  the  horrors  of  his 
prison  life,  and,  as  he  told  of  his  sufferings  and  torture, 
amid  the  groans  of  sympathy,  maledictions  and  curses 
were  hurled  against  my  people;  and  once  his  long,  bony 


5§  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

arm  and  hand  seemed  to  be  stretched  menacingly  toward 
me  as  he  drew  the  picture  of  "  the  martyred  Lincoln,  whose 
blood,"  said  he,  "  cries  out  for  vengeance.  We  follow  his 
hearse;  let  us  swear  a  hatred  to  these  people  against  whom 
he  warred,  and  as  the  cannon  beats  the  hours  with  solemn 
progression,  renew  with  each  sound  unappeasable  hatred.'* 

I  crouched  back  into  my  seat,  almost  holding  my  breath 
as  I  pressed  my  baby  against  my  beating  heart.  The 
sweet  new  friend  touched  my  brow  with  her  lips,  leaving 
there  a  kiss  and  a  prayer,  put  the  lilies  in  my  hand,  and 
was  gone.  The  cars  moved  on,  leaving  a  great  void  in  my 
heart  as  I  thought  of  my  God-given  friend,  so  lately  found, 
so  swiftly  lost. 

All  this  was  more  than  thirty  years  ago,  but  one  of  the 
lilies  yet  lies  in  my  prayer-book,  glorifying  with  the  halo 
of  a  precious  memory  the  page  on  which  it  rests. 

A  man,  not  a  soldier,  I  think,  for  brave  soldiers  are 
magnanimous  and  generous  always,  stood  up  in  a  seat 
almost  opposite  mine  and  said: 

"When  I  think  of  the  horrors  of  Libby  and  Anderson- 
ville  and  look  at  these  poor  sufferers,  I  not  only  want  to 
invoke  the  vengeance  of  a  just  God,  but  I  want  to  take  a 
hand  in  it  myself.  Quarter  should  be  shown  to  none  — 
every  man,  woman  and  child  of  this  accursed  Southern  race 
should  be  made  the  bondsman  of  his  own  slave  for  a 
specified  length  of  time,  that  they  might  know  the  curse 
of  serfdom.  Their  lands  should  be  confiscated  and  given 
to  those  whom  they  have  so  long  and  so  cruelly  wronged." 

As  he  in  detail  related  the  story  of  their  scanty  allow 
ance,  the  filth  and  darkness  of  their  cells,  I  longed  to  get 
up  and  plead  for  my  people,  and  tell  how  they,  too,  were 
without  soap,  food  or  clothes;  that  we  had  no  medicines 
even,  except  what  were  smuggled  through  the  lines,  and 
that  our  own  poor  soldiers  were  barefooted  and  starving; 


ONE  WOMAN  REDEEMED  THEM  ALL.        5Q 

and  that  all  the  suffering  of  prisoners  on  both  sides  could 
have  been  avoided  by  carrying  out  the  terms  of  the  cartel 
proposed  by  the  Confederate  government.  If  I  had  only 
dared  to  raise  the  veil  and  reveal  the  truth,  sympathy 
would  have  tempered  their  bitterness;  the  flame  of  divine 
kinship  smoldering  in  their  veins,  hidden  as  in  a  tomb, 
would  have  miraged  over  the  gulf  of  wrongs  a  bridge 
of  holier  feelings.  Yet  the  memory  of  the  woman 
whose  son  had  been  killed  on  the  field  of  Gettys 
burg,  and  whose  lily,  now  browned  and  withered  with 
the  years,  I  cherish  with  such  tender  care,  softened  the 
words  that  were  like  blows  to  my  ear  and  heart.  Thus 
the  power  of  one  pure  heart  radiating  its  love  upon 
the  world  as  an  odorous  flower,  diffuses  fragrance  on 
the  surrounding  atmosphere,  uplifts  the  sorrowful  spirit 
and  strengthens  it  to  withstand  the  rude  assaults  of  a  vin 
dictive  world. 

The  official  figures  of  Secretary  of  War  Stanton  and 
Surgeon-General  Barnes  show  that  over  three  per  cent, 
more  Confederates  perished  in  Northern  prisons  than 
Federals  in  Southern  prisons.  The  report  of  Mr.  Stanton, 
July  19,  1866,  says:  "  Of  the  Federal  prisoners  in  Confed 
erate  prisons  during  the  war,  22,576  died.  Of  Confeder 
ate  prisoners  in  Federal  prisons,  26,436  died.  Surgeon- 
General  Barnes  said  that  the  Confederate  prisoners  num 
bered  220,000;  the  Federal  prisoners,  270,000.  Out  of 
270,000  Federals  more  than  22,000  died;  of  220,000 
Confederates  more  than  26,000  died.* 

General  Grant,  in  his  letter  to  General  Butler  from  City 

*  Mr.  Elaine  accounts  for  the  greater  mortality  of  Southern  prison 
ers  by  saying  that  the  Southern  men  were  "ill-clad,  ill-fed  and  diseased, 
so  that  they  died  of  disease  they  brought  with  them.  "  That  being  true, 
how  then  could  the  South  provide  any  better  for  Northern  prisoners 
than  for  her  own  soldiers? 


60  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

Point,  July  19,  1864,  thus  bespeaks  his  acffcord  with  his 
government  in  opposing  the  exchange  of  prisoners: 

It  is  hard  on  our  men  held  in  Southern  prisons  not  to  exchange  them, 
but  it  is  humanity  to  those  left  in  the  ranks  to  fight  our  battles.  Every 
man  released  on  parole,  or  otherwise,  becomes  an  active  soldier  against 
us  at  once,  either  directly  or  indirectly.  If  we  commence  a  system  of 
exchange  which  liberates  all  prisoners  taken,  we  will  have  to  fight  on 
until  the  whole  South  is  exterminated.  If  we  hold  on  to  those  caught, 
they  amount  to  no  more  than  dead  men.  At  this  particular  time  to  re 
lease  all  rebel  prisoners  North  would  ensure  Sherman's  defeat  and  would 
compromise  our  safety  here.  ,,  Q  p 

Lieutenant-General. 

General  Grant  further  said,  in  his  testimony  before  the 
Committee  on  the  Conduct  of  the  War,  February,  1865: 
"  Exchanges  of  prisoners  having  been  suspended  by  reason 
of  disagreement  on  the  part  of  agents  of  exchange  on  both 
sides  before  I  came  into  command  of  the  armies  of  the 
United  States,  and  it  then  being  near  the  opening  of  the 
spring  campaign,  I  did  not  deem  it  advisable  or  just  to  the 
men  who  had  to  fight  our  battles  to  reiriforce  the  enemy  with 
thirty  or  forty  thousand  disciplined  troops  at  that  time.  An 
immediate  resumption  of  exchanges  would  have  had  that 
effect  without  giving  us  corresponding  benefits.  The  suf 
fering  said  to  exist  among  our  prisoners  South  was  a  pow 
erful  argument  against  the  course  pursued,  and  so  I  felt  it." 

In  the  light  of  historic  facts,  the  right  entry  will  be 
made  of  the  suffering  of  the  prisoners,  North  and  South. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

A  FAMILIAR  FACE. 

Owing  to  the  delay,  all  the  staterooms  in  the  Lake 
Champlain  steamer  had  been  taken,  and  my  little  sick 
baby  and  its  poor  tired  mother  were  very  thankful  when, 
after  the  long,  dreary  night,  they  welcomed  the  dawn  of 
day  which  counted  them  many  miles  nearer  to  their  Mecca. 

I  have  forgotten  the  name  of  the  place  from  which  we 
took  the  train  for  Montreal  after  leaving  the  steamer,  but 
I  remember  a  fact  of  more  consequence  concerning  it  — 
that  it  was  the  wrong  place. 

I  received  my  first  tariff  lesson  on  reaching  the  Canada 
side,  when  the  passengers  were  summoned  to  the  custom 
house  office  to  have  their  baggage  examined,  and  I,  with 
my  carpet-bag,  basket  and  baby,  followed  my  fellow  voy 
agers.  When  my  turn  came  I  handed  the  officer  my  keys 
and  checks,  which,  after  a  glance,  he  gave  back  to  me, 
saying  with  haste  and  indifference,  as  if  it  might  have  been 
the  most  trivial  of  matters: 

"Your  luggage  has  been  left  on  the  States  side.  Your 
checks  were  not  exchanged." 

This  was  "the  last  straw."  The  camel's  back  had  been 
broken  by  no  clothes.  Heroically  I  had  borne  up  under 
dangers  and  hardships,  accusations  and  imminent  trage 
dies,  but  the  loss  of  my  wardrobe,  that  greatest  calamity 
which  has  ever  been  known  to  darken  the  career  of  mortal 
woman,  was  too  much,  and  I  wept  aloud.  Not  that  I  had 
so  large  and  so  valuable  an  array  of  personal  adornments. 
The  few  clothes  I  had  were  intrinsically  worthless  except, 

61 


62  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN- 

perhaps,  as  so  many  curios.  There  were  gowns  remodeled 
and  refashioned  from  court  dresses  over  a  hundred  years 
old.  There  were  others  entirely  new  as  to  texture,  and 
grotesquely  original  as  to  style,  woven  on  our  crude  looms, 
made  streaked  and  striped  with  our  natural  dyes,  trimmed 
with  an  improvised  passementerie  made  of  canteloupe 
and  other  seeds,  and  laces  knit  from  fine-spun  flax,  with 
buttons  of  carved  and  ornamented  peach-stones.  Then 
there  was  my  wedding-robe,  constructed  after  approved 
models,  somewhere  in  the  unknown  regions  of  the  frozen 
North,  and  basely  smuggled  across  the  lines  to  me,  an  un- 
regenerate  reprobate,  who  wickedly  ( but  artistically,  be 
it  known)  put  it  on  and  went,  an  unrepentant  receiver  of 
smuggled  goods,  proudly  to  the  altar,  positively  glorying 
in  villainy.  In  the  Confederacy  a  new  wedding-dress 
was  a  rare  and  precious  feature  in  costumery.  Its  intro 
duction  into  a  community  was  a  social  event  of  great 
importance.  Its  possession  was  a  distinction  which  ren 
dered  its  fortunate  owner  especially  subject  to  the  gra 
cious  law  of  noblesse  oblige.  My  bridal-robe  had  draped 
the  form  of  more  than  one  fair  maid  since  it  had  first 
eluded  the  vigilant  eyes  which  guarded  the  Federal  line. 
It  was  last  worn  by  one  of  the  most  beautiful  girls  of 
the  Confederacy  when  she  became  the  wife  of  a  distin 
guished  officer,  and  was  put  away  forever  when,  a  few 
hours  later,  the  groom  was  brought  back  to  his  bride, 
wrapped  in  the  white  shroud  of  death.  The  purity  of  the 
bridal-robe  gave  place  to  the  sombreness  of  the  widow's 
weeds,  which  for  many  years  were  faithfully  worn  in 
memory  of  her  fallen  hero. 

My  genuine  grief  for  the  loss  of  all  my  clothes  touched 
the  heart  of  the  sturdy  Englishman  into  vouchsafing  the 
information  that  I  would  better  return  the  checks  for 
exchange  and  I  would  receive  my  luggage  on  the  next 


A    FAMILIAR   FACE.  63 

train.  The  delight  consequent  upon  this  information, 
taken  in  connection  with  my  previous  grief,  may  have  im 
pressed  the  British  mind  with  the  conviction  that  the 
missing  trunks  contained  an  entire  outfit  just  from  Worth, 
Felix  being  at  that  time  yet  in  the  realm  of  the  unevolved. 

Taking  the  wrong  train  at  the  wrong  point  put  me  into 
Montreal  later  than  I  was  expected,  but  I  religiously  fol 
lowed  instructions  to  remain  on  the  train  which  stopped 
over  at  Montreal,  until  I  should  be  claimed,  like  a  general- 
delivery  letter. 

Every  passenger  had  left  the  coach,  and  baby  and  I 
were  alone.  I  was  waiting  and  watching  breathlessly 
for  my  claimant,  when  my  hungry  eyes  caught  sight  of 
three  gentlemen  coming  straight  toward  me.  It  was  with 
but  a  languid  interest  that  I  regarded  them,  for  I  had  pre 
conceived  convictions  as  to  the  appearance  of  the  one 
who  should  assert  proprietary  rights  over  me,  and  neither 
of  these  newcomers  seemed  at  first  glance  adapted  to  re 
spond  to  those  convictions.  The  face  of  one  seemed 
rather  familiar,  but  I  was  not  sure,  so  I  drew  my  little  baby 
closer  to  me  and  looked  the  other  way.  I  felt  them  com 
ing,  and  felt  them  stop  right  by  my  side. 

"What  will  you  have  of  me?"  I  asked. 

There  were  tears  in  the  eyes  of  the  gentleman  whose 
face  had  seemed  a  familiar  one,  and  the  next  minute  baby 
and  I  were  in  his  great  strong  arms,  and  his  tender  voice 
was  reproachfully  asking: 

"Don't  you  know  your  husband,  little  one?" 

I  was  looking  for  my  General  as  I  had  been  used  to 
seeing  him —  dressed  in  the  dear  old  Confederate  uniform, 
and  with  his  hair  long  and  curling.  The  beautiful  hair 
had  been  trimmed,  and  while  he  was  not  subject  to  the 
limitations  of  Samson  in  the  matter  of  personal  strength, 
a  critical  observer  might  have  detected  variations  in  per- 


64  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

sonal  beauty.  An  English  civilian  suit  of*  rough  brown 
cloth  took  the  place  of  the  old  Confederate  gray. 

The  two  gentlemen  with  him  were  Mr.  Corse,  a 
banker,  a  brother  of  one  of  the  General's  brigadiers,  and 
Mr.  Symington,  of  Baltimore,  a  refugee.  I  noticed  that 
these  gentlemen  called  the  General  "Mr.  Edwards"  and 
me  "  Mrs.  Edwards,"  which  made  me  feel  somewhat  strange 
and  unnatural,  but  I  reflected  that  I  was  in  a  foreign 
country,  and  very  far  north  of  our  old  home,  and  perhaps 
even  people's  names  were  affected  by  political  and  cli 
matic  conditions. 

Knowing  our  poverty,  I  had  expected  the  General  to 
take  us  to  a  quiet  little  room  in  some  unpretentious  board 
ing-house,  but  was  too  tired  to  voice  my  surprise  when  we 
were  driven  in  a  handsome  carriage  to  a  palatial  home. 
I  remember  the  beautiful  grounds,  the  fountain,  and  flow 
ers;  the  big  English  butler  with  side-whiskers  who  opened 
the  large  carved  doors;  and  the  pretty  girl  in  a  cap  who 
took  baby  from  my  arms. 

After  that  I  remember  only  being  tired  —  so  tired  —  so 
very  tired.  When  I  had  rested  enough  to  remember  again, 
1  was  on  a  sofa  dressed  in  a  pretty,  soft,  silken  robe,  and  I 
heard  a  kind  voice  saying: 

"The  lady  is  better;  she  will  be  all  right.  Let  her 
sleep." 

Glancing  up,  I  saw  a  benevolent-looking  old  gentleman 
and  a  pair  of  spectacles.  I  closed  my  eyes  and  heard  the 
gentleman  with  the  familiar  face  say  such  beautiful,  such 
sweet,  pleasant  things,  and  his  voice  and  touch  thrilled  my 
heart  so  that  I  kept  my  eyes  shut  and  never  wanted  to  open 
them  again;  and  presently  the  pretty  girl  with  the  cap  on 
came  in  and  baby  was  in  her  arms,  dressed  in  a  beautiful 
robe. 

"Ze  petite  enfant — very  much  no  hungry  now  —  he  eat 


A   FAMILIAR  FACE.  6$ 

tres  much  pap  —  he  sleep  —  he  wash  —  he  dress  —  he  eat 
tres  much.  He  no  hungry;  he  eat  some  more  tres  much 
again.  He  smile;  he  now  no  very  much  hungry  again 
some  more." 

Was  I  in  the  land  of  fairies,  and  was  the  gentleman 
with  the  familiar  face  the  prince  of  fairies,  as  he  was  the 
prince  of  lovers?  Our  baby's  outstretched  arms  and  cry  for 
me  as  he  recognized  me  dispelled  any  such  delusion,  but  I 
was  too  tired  to  hold  out  my  hands  to  him.  I  soon  felt  his 
little  face,  however,  nestling  close  against  my  own,  and 
felt,  too,  the  touch  of  yet  another  face,  and  heard  the  same 
voice  which  had  made  my  heart  thrill  with  bliss  whisper 
again  more  things  like  unto  those  other  things  it  had 
whispered,  but  I  was  too  tired  and  too  happy  to  speak, 
and  my  blessings  seemed  too  sacred  to  open  my  eyes 
upon,  so  I  kept  them  closed.  When  the  old  English 
physician  came  in  the  next  day  he  said: 

"Ah,  ha!  Ah,  ha!  The  lady  is  most  well.  Keep  on 
feeding  her  and  sleeping  her.  She  is  half-starved,  poor 
lady,  and  half-dazed,  too,  by  sleeplessness.  Ah,  ha!  Ah, 
ha!  Poor  lady!  That  will  do  —  feed  her  and  sleep  her; 
feed  her  and  sleep  her.  Ah,  ha!  Ah,  ha!  That's  all." 

When  the  old  doctor  was  gone  I  remember  listening 
for  the  tread  of  the  sentinel  outside  —  confusing  the  "ah, 
ha!  ah,  ha!"  with  the  tramp,  tramp,  tramp  —  and  as  I 
asked,  the  question  brought  back  the  memory  that  the 
war  was  over,  the  guns  were  stacked,  the  camp  was 
broken,  and  the  General  was  all  my  very  own.  I  looked 
around  inquiringly  and  up  into  the  familiar  face  for  an 
swer,  and  he,  my  General,  explained  our  pleasant  sur 
roundings. 

His  old  friends,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  James  Hutton,  he  said, 
had  been  suddenly  summoned  to  England,  and  had  prayed 
him,  as  a  great  favor  to  them,  to  be  their  guest  until  their 


66  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

return,  as  otherwise  the  delay  to  make  the  necessary  ar 
rangements  for  their  going  would  prevent  their  catching 
the  first  steamer.  Thus  we  had  a  beautiful  home  in  which 
to  rest,  to  grow  well  and  strong,  to  forget  all  that  could 
be  forgotten  of  the  past,  and  to  enjoy  the  present. 


CHAPTER  X. 

VISITORS,  SHILLING  A  DOZEN.  —  OUR  LEFT-HANDERS. 

The  first  week  in  June  the  French  maid  came  to  our 
room  with  a  telegram  for  Mr.  Edwards,  announcing  that 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hutton  would  sail  for  home  from  England 
the  following  week. 

My  husband  calculated  about  what  time  they  would 
arrive,  and  how  soon  we  would  be  forced  to  give  up  the 
comforts  of  their  beautiful  and  luxurious  home,  which  we 
were  then  enjoying.  We  began  to  hunt  for  a  place  to  live, 
commencing  with  the  hotels  and  larger  boarding-houses, 
and  v/inding  up  with  the  smaller  ones.  After  a  week  of 
varied,  and  some  very  funny,  experiences,  we  decided  at 
last  upon  one  house,  principally  because  of  its  attractive 
court  and  the  pleasant  verandas  overlooking  it. 

"With  its  glistening  fountain  and  pretty  shrubbery  and 
flowers,  how  nice  for  our  baby,"  I  said.  "  How  cool  and 
refreshing  the  sound  of  the  water,  and  the  glimpse  of 
green." 

So,  for  baby's  sake,  the  selection  was  made  and  our 
rooms  engaged.  Our  landlady  was  a  very  dark  bru 
nette,  and  prided  herself  upon  being  a  French  Canadian, 
but— 

"That  man  of  mine,"  she  sorrowfully  said,  "is  a  soggy 
Englishman,  and  you  would  hardly  believe  it  possible  he 
could  be  the  father  of  our  two  beautiful  daughters.  Both 
of  them  are  going  to  do  well,  but  they  don't  take  after  their 
pa.  The  oldest  is  engaged  to  be  married  to  a  Stateser 
with  nine  businesses!" 

67 


68  PIC 'ICE TT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

• 
By  the  "nine  businesses"  and  "Stateser"  I  gathered, 

from  her  explanation,  which  she  volunteered  in  answer 
to  my  puzzled  look,  that  the  fortunate  son-in-law-to-be 
was  a  Yankee  living  in  a  small  town  in  the  State  of  Ver 
mont,  and  owning  a  little  country  store  where  woolen 
and  cotton  goods,  silks  and  flannels,  pottery,  queensware, 
hardware,  groceries,  grain,  and  so  forth,  were  sold.  In 
her  admiration  of  him,  after  each  alleged  "business"  she 
affixed  the,  to  her,  high-sounding  title  of  "merchant." 

The  second  daughter,  she  told  me,  was  learning  to 
sing. 

"She  has  a  sweet  voice,  but  she  don't  take  after  her 
pa,"  she  said,  "and  the  young  preacher  student  in  the 
next  room  to  the  right  of  the  one  you  have  chosen  is 
very  much  taken  with  her,  and  it  looks  like  I'd  get  both 
girls  off  my  hands  before  long." 

She  said  she  could  not  give  me  the  use  of  the  parlors 
when  the  girls  wanted  them. 

"The  Stateser  comes  a  long  ways,  you  know,  and  has 
to  have  it  all  to  himself  when  he  is  here." 

But  she  generously  suggested  that  if  none  "of  them" 
were  using  the  parlor  at  the  time  when  my  "company 
came,"  she  would  let  me  entertain  my  visitors  in  it  at 
the  rate  of  a  "  shilling  a  dozen"  which  arrangement  I  con 
sidered  a  very  good  one  for  me,  as  I  did  not  expect  to 
have  more  than  a  shilling's  worth  of  visitors  perhaps,  in 
six  months. 

Our  meals  were  to  be  served  in  our  own  room,  except 
on  Sundays,  when  we  would  have  to  dine  in  the  public 
dining-room  and  do  our  own  "waiting,"  like  the  others. 
We  did  not  exactly  understand  what  that  meant,  but  one 
day's  experience  proved  it  to  be  anything  but  comfort 
able.  The  dinner  had  all  been  cooked  on  Saturday  and 
was  cut  up  and  piled  on  the  table  in  the  center  of  the 


' '  A  SHILLING  A  D  OZEN.  "—OUR  LEFT-HANDERS.        69 

room,  and  we  each  had  to  serve  ourselves.  I  could  not 
help  thinking  of  the  time  when  my  General  had  been 
served  by  butlers  and  waiters,  each  anxious  to  be  the  first 
to  anticipate  his  wishes,  and  all  feeling  amply  rewarded 
for  every  effort  by  a  pleasant  word  or  an  appreciative 
smile.  I  wondered  how  any  one  of  those  obsequious  at 
tendants  would  feel  to  see  us  now. 

The  following  menu  was  about  the  average  dinner 
(with  the  exception,  of  course,  that  on  week-days  it  was 
warm):  Corned  beef,  mutton  pie,  potato  salad,  pickled 
snap-beans,  gooseberry  tarts,  and  milk.  Our  breakfast 
was  always  cold;  the  first  one  was  cold  bread,  preserves, 
a  baked  partridge  (which  is  the  same  as  our  pheasant), 
and  delicious  coffee  and  butter. 

Our  rooms  had  one  discomfort:  we  were  awakened 
every  morning  by  the  young  lady  making  love  to  the  bird 
of  her  preacher  beau  while  she  arranged  his  room. 

"Dear  'ittle  birdie!  —  birdie  dot  a  Dod?  —  birdie  dot  a 
soul?  —  'ittle  birdie  sings  praises  to  Doddie?  Dear  'ittle 
birdie  dot  a  dear  'ittle  papa,  and  dear  'ittle  papa  must  det 
him  a  dear,  dood  'ittle  wifey  —  dood  'ittle  Tistian  wifey, 
who  will  take  tare  of  birdie  and  help  him  to  make  hi*, 
people  dood  Tistians,  and  help  birdie  and  birdie's  papa  to 
sing  praises,  too;  tiss  again,  'ittle  birdie  — 

A  sound  as  of  the  door  opening,  a  rustling  and  a 
confused  "Oh,  dear!"  and  then  "Good-morning"  was  fol 
lowed  by  the  invariable  excuse  for  not  having  finished 
tidying  up  the  room  and  cage  before  he  came,  "because 
birdie  and  I  are  such  friends  —  ain't  we,  birdie  —  and  time 
slips  so  quickly  —  don't  it,  birdie?" 

I  would  know  she  was  being  forgiven,  though  I  could 
hear  only  the  sounds  of  his  deep,  low  tones  between  the 
chirping  to  —  birdie,  of  course.  Neither  my  husband  nor 
I  meant  to  listen  to  these  chirpings  to  —  birdie,  of  course, 


7O  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN, 

and  I  always  put  my  fingers  in  his  ears  at  the  sound  of 
them. 

After  our  breakfast  was  over  and  baby  had  been  made 
comfortable,  I  usually  sent  him  out  with  Annie  for  his 
walk,  and  she  was  delighted  at  having  him  all  to  herself. 

"Shure,  and  I'll  not  be  having  the  interfarence  of  so 
many  others  whose  rasponsability  I  don't  be  a-wanting; 
for  the  bairn,  God  save  him,  was  afther  being  that  kissed, 
his  dinner  wouldn't  agray  with  him  at  all,  at  all.  There 
was  the  cook  and  John's  wife  and  John  and  the  coach 
man  and  that  ugly  French  Lizette  (sorra  a  bit  am  I  t6 
be  rid  of  her,  the  vain  prig)  would  be  all  afther  kissing 
him  until  he'd  be  that  sick  his  milk  would  curdle  in  him, 
and  for  the  loife  of  me  I  couldn't  be  kaping  the  clothes 
clane  on  him  with  all  their  crumpling  and  handling;  and 
it's  glad  that  I  am  entirely,  the  saints  save  us,  having  him 
to  mesilf,  the  blissed  child!" 

The  rooms  were  comfortable,  and  we  found  the  long 
veranda,  where  we  spent  our  evenings  and  most  of  our 
mornings,  not  only  a  very  pleasant  change,  but  a  source 
of  amusement  as  well.  My  curiosity  was  greatly  excited 
concerning  our  neighbors  on  the  left.  I  was  uncertain 
how  many  there  were  of  them,  though  I  put  them  down  in 
my  mind  as  not  less  than  half  a  dozen. 

The  first  morning  these  "  Left-handers,"  as  I  called 
them,  were  as  silent  as  the  grave  till  about  noon,  when, 
all  at  once,  without  any  premonitory  noises,  they  com 
menced  a  most  animated  conversation,  interspersed  with 
laughter,  mirthful  and  scornful.  Then  the  tones  of  their 
voices  would  change  from  anger  to  reproach  and  then  to 
grief,  so  that  at  one  time  I  was  so  full  of  sympathy  with 
the  poor  man  who  was  being  driven  out  into  the  cold 
world  that  it  was  all  I  could  do  not  to  go  in  and  plead  for 
him;  but  while  I  was  hesitating  all  became  quiet.  I  sup- 


' '  A  SHILLING  A  D  OZEN.  "—OUR  LEFT-HANDERS,        J I 

posed  he  was  gone  and  all  was  over  with  him,  and  invol 
untarily  I  offered  up  a  prayer  —  all  the  help  I  could  give. 

Imagine,  if  you  can,  my  surprise  when  the  next  morn 
ing  at  a  little  later  hour  I  heard  a  repetition  of  the  same 
painful  scene.  The  poor  man  had  returned,  I  reasoned. 
Taking  them  all  together,  I  thought  they  certainly  were 
a  most  curious  family,  and  I  determined  to  enlist  my  hus 
band's  interest  as  soon  as  he  came  in.  Something  had 
prevented  my  telling  him  the  day  before.  That  evening 
as  we  were  sitting  on  the  veranda  I  carried  my  resolution 
into  effect  and,  though  he  listened  with  his  usual  sweet 
patience,  my  description  of  the  disturbance,  to  my  sur 
prise,  excited  in  him  more  mirth  than  sympathy. 

Just  as  I  had  finished  telling  him,  our  baby  was  brought 
in  to  be  enjoyed  and  put  to  sleep.  "The  little  pig  went 
to  market,"  "the  mouse  ran  up  the  clock,"  "the  cock 
horse"  was  ridden  "to  Banbury  Cross,"  and  after  innum 
erable  "  Hobble-de-gees,"  baby  was  ready,  and  so  were 
we,  for  his  "Bye  Baby  Bunting." 

When  his  sweet  little  "ah-ah-ah"  accompanying  ours 
grew  fainter  and  fainter,  we  began  to  sing  in  the  Chinook 
jargon  the  Lord's  Prayer,  which  my  husband  had  taught 
to  so  many  of  the  Indians  on  the  Pacific  coast,  and  which 
we  always  sang  at  the  last  to  make  baby's  sleep  sound. 
At  the  words,  "  Kloshe  mika  tumtum  kopa  illahie,  kahkwa 
kopa  saghalie"  (Thy  will  be  done  on  earth  as  it  is  in 
heaven),  from  through  the  open  door  of  the  room  to  our 
left  a  voice  clear  and  sweet  joined  in  the  same  jargon 
with  ours  to  "Our  Father,"  and  as  the  last  invocation  was 
chanted,  "  Mahsh  siah  kopa  nesika  konaway  massachie  — 
Kloshe  kahkwa  "  (Send  away  far  from  us  all  evil — Amen),  a 
handsome  stranger  stepped  out  and,  with  outstretched 
hand,  said  to  the  General,  with  great  cordiality,  "  Klahowya 
sikhs,  potlatch  lemah"  (How  do  you  do,  friend;  give  me 


72  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

your  good  hand).  Then  followed  a  conversation  between 
them  about  the  Pacific  coast,  Fort  Vancouver,  San  Juan 
Island,  Puget  Sound,  the  Snohomish  tribe  and  their  many 
mutual  friends  of  the  Salmon  Illehe. 

All  the  while  I  was  wondering  what  could  have  become 
of  the  other  family  —  if  they  could  have  gone  —  and  yet 
now  and  then  I  caught  a  tone  in  his  voice  as  he  talked  to 
my  husband,  that  sounded  very  similar  to  the  tones  of  the 
man  in  trouble  belonging  to  them,  though  I  did  not  see 
how  it  would  be  possible  for  any  one  to  drive,  or  wish 
to  drive,  him  out  of  their  home.  When,  after  awhile,  1 
came  in  for  the  compliments  of  the  season,  my  astonish 
ment  knew  no  bounds  when  I  learned  that  he  had  been 
the  sole  occupant  of  that  room  since  Sunday  night. 

The  clock  in  the  court  struck  seven.  Rising  hastily, 
and  with  many  apologies,  this  strange-family  man  wrote 
something  on  his  card,  and  handing  it  to  my  husband, 
said,  "I  am  playing  at  the  theater  here,  to-night  —  come 
and  see  me,"  and  was  gone. 

To  this  kind  stranger,  William  Florence,  I  was  in 
debted  for  my  first  taste  of  the  pleasures  of  the  theater. 
Almost  every  evening  he,  with  our  permission,  joined  us 
on  the  veranda,  shared  our  play  with  baby,  cheered  and 
entertained  the  General,  and  kindly  took  us  afterward  to 
seethe  play.  Yet,  during  the  whole  of  his  stay  —  four 
days  —  he  never  once,  in  the  most  remote  way,  intruded 
himself  upon  our  confidence;  and  though  he  knew  there 
was  some  mystery,  in  his  innate  delicacy  he  made  no 
allusion  to  it. 

On  Saturday  evening,  when  his  engagement  was  over 
and  he  came  to  say  good-by,  after  lingering  over  the 
pleasant  evenings  we  had  passed  together,  and  putting 
great  stress  upon  the  benefit  they  had  been  to  him,  he 
stopped  abruptly,  saying: 


1 ' A  SHILLING  A  D OZEN. "—OUR  LEFT-HANDERS,        ?$ 

"Confound  it  all!  Forgive  me,  if  I  put  my  foot  in  it 
—  but  here  is  something  to  buy  a  rattle  for  the  youngster. 
I  swear  I  absolutely  have  no  use  for  it.  In  fact,  I  never 
had  so  much  money  at  one  time  before  in  my  whole  life, 
and  it  belongs  by  rights  to  the  young  rascal;  for,  if  it  had 
not  been  for  the  'cat's  in  the  fiddle,'  the  'cow  jumping 
over  the  moon,'  'getting  the  poor  dog  a  bone,'  and  'Our 
Father  who  art  in  heaven,'  I  should  have  spent  every  red 
cent  of  it  on  the  fellows.  Please  —  I  insist,"  he  said,  as  my 
husband  refused.  "  I  know  you  have  had  more  money 
than  you  seem  to  be  bothered  with  now;  take  this/' 

Though  we  were  both  very  much  touched  by  the  kind 
generosity  of  this  stranger  in  a  strange  land,  the  General 
was  firm  in  his  refusal. 

"  Well,  good-by,  and  good  luck  to  you,"  he  said.  "  You 
are  as  obstinate  as  an  'allegory  on  the  banks  of  the  Nile.' 
Here  it  goes,"  putting  the  fifty  dollars  back  into  his 
pocket,  and  turning  to  me,  with  a  tone  I  so  well  remem 
bered,  he  wished  me  happiness. 

"Good-by, "I  said;  "may  'Our  Father'  who  art  in 
heaven  and  his  little  ones  whom  he  says  'suffer  to  come 
unto  me,'  keep  your  heart  thoughtful  for  others,  and  gen 
tle  and  kind  all  through  this  life.  Believe  in  soul  and  be 
very  sure  of  God." 

In  all  the  years  that  came  afterward,  the  friendship 
formed  then  between  my  husband  and  our  first  "Left 
hander"  was  never  broken  —  and  to  me  it  was  a  legacy. 

The  following  week  I  noticed  his  rooms  were  taken  by 
a  very  strangely  acting  lady  and  gentleman.  I  saw  there 
were  two  of  them  this  time.  The  second  evening,  as  I 
was  putting  baby,  who  was  unusually  restless  and  fretful 
and  would  not  be  amused  or  comforted,  to  sleep,  the 
queer  lady,  with  a  "  Banquo-is-buried-and-can-not-come- 
out-of-his-grave "  tone  and  manner,  said,  "The  child  —  is't 


74  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

ill,  or  doth  it  need  the  rod  withal?"  Whether  the  child 
needed  "the  rod  with  all"  or  Mrs.  Winslow's  soothing- 
syrup,  he  stopped  crying  at  once,  and  while  she  talked 
on,  never  took  his  startled  eyes  from  her  face  till  he 
wearily  closed  them,  hypnotized  to  sleep. 

"Hast  thou  a  nurse  —  one  that  thou  call'st  trust 
worthy?"  she  asked,  after  I  had  put  baby  in  his  little  bed. 

"Yes,  madam,"  I  answered  —  "one  whose  love  makes 
her  so." 

"It  is  well,"  she  said,  "and  if  thou  dost  not  fear  to 
leave  the  watch  with  her,  wilt  thou  and  thy  husband  come 
as  our  guests  to  see  our  Hamlet  as  we  have  conceived 
him  to  be?" 

It  was  the  first  of  Shakespeare 'splays  I  had  ever  seen, 
and  my  blood  ran  cold  as  I  breathlessly  watched  the 
portrayal  of  it  by  these,  the  most  celebrated  actors  of 
their  day  (Charles  Kean  and  his  wife,  Ellen  Tree),  and 
with  talents  so  versatile  that  I  cried  over  the  tragedy  as  if 
my  heart  would  break,  and  laughed  with  equal  heartiness 
over  "Toodles,"  the  farce  which  followed. 

At  the  close  of  the  play  the  actress  brought  her  hus 
band  into  the  box  and  introduced  him.  Unlike  her,  he 
did  all  his  acting  on  the  stage,  while  she  stabbed  her  po 
tatoes  and  said,  "What!  no  b-e-a-n-s?" 

We  accepted  their  kind  invitation  to  share  their  car 
riage  back  to  the  house,  and  enjoyed,  too,  some  of  the 
delicious  supper  prepared  for  them.  It  was  their  last 
year  on  the  stage,  and  I  never  saw  them  again,  though  I 
treasure  their  little  keepsake,  given  me  in  exchange  for 
one  not  half  so  pretty,  and  gratefully  remember  the 
pleasure  they  put  into  our  lives  during  the  days  they 
were  our  "Left-handers." 

Among  others,  there  came  in  time  that  king  of  come 
dians,  noble  in  mind  as  he  was  perfect  in  art,  Joe  Jeffer- 


• '  A  SHILLING  A  D  OZEN.  "—OUR  LEFT-HANDERS.        7  5 

son.  He  was  accompanied  by  his  wife,  a  fascinating, 
motherly  little  woman. 

The  second  morning  after  meeting  them,  I,  in  compli 
ment  to  her  inquiries  about  my  baby,  asked  after  their  lit 
tle  dog,  to  whom  I  had  heard  her  husband  talking  as  if  it 
had  been  a  child. 

She  laughed  and  explained  "Schneider,"  and  told  me 
the  story  which  has  since  become  the  property  of  the 
newspapers,  about  how  the  great  comedian  had  been 
identified  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  the  bank-teller  by 
means  of  this  same  "Schneider,"  the  most  wonderful  dog 
that  ever  existed  in  the  human  mind. 

Nor  did  this  pleasant  acquaintance  end  with  our 
Canadian  experience.  The  next  time  we  saw  Joe  Jeffer 
son  was  in  Richmond,  where  he  gave  a  performance  and 
turned  over  the  whole  proceeds  to  a  war-ruined  Confeder 
ate,  and  all  in  such  a  quiet  manner  as  to  fulfill  the  spirit  of 
the  Scriptural  injunction  regarding  the  right  and  left 
hands.  The  kindness  which  was  shown  by  the  wealthy 
tobacconist  —  the  seeming  favorite  of  fortune  —  to  the  poor 
lad  in  the  beginning  of  that  career  the  distinction  of 
which,  even  then,  one  could  foretell,  was  thus  gracefully 
repaid  a  thousand  times  by  the  successful  actor. 

Our  landlady  made  a  tour  of  inspection  of  all  the 
rooms  every  Friday,  but  to  us  she  made  her  visits  longer 
each  time,  showing  a  growing  interest  in  our  affairs. 
She  could  not  solve  the  mystery  of  our  having  come  from 
such  a  palatial  home  to  her  boarding-house.  Then,  too, 
one  of  my  "shilling  visitors"  happening  to  be  the  Gov 
ernor-General,  and  another  an  English  officer,  they  were 
also  a  cause  of  wonder.  She  was  so  insistent  in  this  un 
bounded  curiosity  that  we  were  compelled  to  seek  a 
larger  house  where  we  should  be  more  lost  sight  of,  espe 
cially  as  just  at.  this  time  two  prominent  Southern  gen- 


/6  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

tlemen,  Mr.  Beverly  Tucker  and  Mr.  Beverly  Saunders, 
had  been  gagged  and  taken  through  the  lines,  though 
their  release  was  immediately  demanded  by  the  English 
government. 

Much  to  my  husband's  relief,  I  volunteered  to  assume 
the  disagreeable  task  of  notifying  her,  which  notice  she 
seemed  intuitively  to  have  anticipated  and  determined  to 
thwart  by  telling  of  her  troubles,  all  of  which  she  laid  at 
"that  Johnson's"  (her  husband's)  door. 

"  He  is  got  so  high-minded  now,"  she  said,  "  he  refuses 
to  blacken  all  the  boots  at  night  —  leaves  the  top  floor 
ones  till  morning.  Wants  to  set  up-stairs  with  me  and 
the  girls,  instead  of  staying  down  in  the  kitchen,  looking 
for  chaws  and  to  be  handy;  expects  us  to  hunt  tins  to 
shine  and  mend,  and  nails  to  drive;  won't  eat  the  board 
ers'  leavings;  reads  the  Stateser's  newspaper  that  he  sends 
to  his  girl;  sets  on  it  when  he  hears  us  coming;  took 
money  from  Stateser,  too,  and  was  that  sly  he  was  going 
to  spend  it  on  himself,  and  I  giving  him  all  he  needs." 

Taking  advantage  of  her  pause  for  sympathy,  I  edged 
in  my  notice.  She  immediately  put  all  the  blame  of  our 
going  on  "that  Johnson,"  and,  though  I  assured  her  that 
he  had  nothing  whatever  to  do  with  it,  wailed: 

"You  can't  fool  us,  you  can't  fool  us  —  he  drives  every 
boarder  out  of  the  house." 

Our  next  rooms  opened  on  the  Champs  de  Mars,  the 
attractions  of  which  in  part  made  up  for  the  loss  of  the 
veranda,  but  not  for  that  of  our  "  Left-handers,"  who  had 
come  and  gone,  making  oases  in  our  lives. 


CHAPTER  XL 

BORN   WITH    EMERALDS — NEMO    NOCETUR. 

"Cast  away  this  cloudy  care  —  come,  look  at  the  sol 
diers,"  I  said,  as  I  saw  a  shadow  in  the  General's  smile 
and  heard  a  sigh,  when  the  music,  almost  under  our  very 
windows,  signaled  the  hour  for  dress-parade. 

The  shapeless,  senseless  ghost  of  despair  vanished 
with  my  entreaties,  as  we  stood  at  the  window  and 
watched  the  soldiers,  keeping  time  with  them  to  step  and 
tune  outwardly,  while  hiding  the  muffled  sound  within, 
each  playing  we  were  enjoying  it,  without  one  marring 
thought  of  the  crumpled-browed  past,  trying  to  fool  each 
other  till  we  really  fooled  ourselves.  It  was  with  thank 
fulness  that  I  saw  the  General  watch  with  unfeigned  in 
terest  the  maneuvers  of  the  soldiers,  day  after  day,  and 
pleasantly  welcome  reveille  and  tattoo.  Our  baby 
learned  to  march  almost  before  he  walked. 

While  we  were  enjoying  our  congenial  surroundings 
and  each  other,  spite  of  poverty,  fears  for  the  future,  and 
grief  for  the  past,  my  husband  became  very  ill.  In  the 
crisis  of  his  illness,  while  he  required  all  my  attention, 
our  baby  was  seized  with  croup.  The  kind  old  English 
man,  recommended  by  my  good  friends,  was  very  at 
tentive,  but  failed  to  inspire  me  with  my  wonted  faith. 
The  chief  reason,  I  think,  must  have  been  that  he  was 
not  called  "Doctor,"  but  "Mister."  For  two  weeks  he 
came  once,  and  sometimes  twice,  a  day,  going  first  to* 
see  and  bring  me  news  of  baby,  who  had  been  kindly 
taken  by  our  friends  to  their  home  to  be  cared  for.  I 

77 


7§  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

^| 

was  a  source  of  unending  amusement,  an  unsolvable 
mystery,  to  the  English  doctor,  though  we  were  very 
good  friends. 

During  all  this  long  illness  I  never  once  stopped  to 
consider  the  cost  of  anything,  whether  it  were  food,  medi 
cines  or  delicacies  of  any  kind,  if  prescribed  or  sug 
gested,  but  purchased  regardless  of  expense.  When  the 
danger  was  past,  and  our  board  bill  was  sent  up,  I  counted 
over  our  little  store  and  found  there  was  not  enough  left 
to  meet  it. 

My  husband  was  still  too  ill  to  be  annoyed  or  troubled 
about  anything,  and  with  the  bill  hidden  away  in  my 
pocket,  I  was  making  a  plan  of  battle  and  maneuvering 
how  I  could  fight  my  way  out  of  the  intrenchments,  when 
he  noticed  that  I  was  looking  pale,  and  suggested  that  I 
go  out  for  a  little  fresh  air. 

Eagerly  taking  advantage  of  the  excuse  thus  offered, 
I  put  on  my  bonnet  and  went  down  to  the  office  and 
took  from  my  box  in  the  safe  an  old-fashioned  set  of 
emeralds  and,  asking  the  proprietor  to  direct  me  to  the 
most  reliable  jeweler  and  to  send  some  one  to  sit  with 
my  husband  until  my  return,  I  went  out. 

I  had  had  very  little  experience  in  buying  of  mer 
chants,  and  none  whatever  in  selling  to  them,  but  I 
feigned  great  wisdom  and  dignity  as  I  told  the  young 
man  who  stepped  forward  to  wait  upon  me  that  my  busi 
ness  was  with  the  head  of  the  firm.  He  took  me  back 
to  an  inner  office,  where  an  old  man  with  grizzly-gray  hair 
and  a  very  moist  countenance  was  looking  intently  through 
something,  which  very  much  resembled  a  napkin-ring 
screwed  into  his  right  eye,  at  some  jewels  lying  on  a  tray 
before  him.  He  wore  his  teeth  on  the  outside  of  his 
mouth,  and  his  upper  lip  was  so  drawn,  in  the  intensity 
of  his  look,  as  to  be  almost  hidden  under  his  overreach- 


B ORN  WITH  EMERALDS  —  NEMO  NO CE  TUR.  79 

ing  nose.  His  face,  too,  was  wrinkled  up  into  a  thou 
sand  gullies  in  his  concentration  upon  his  work. 

''We  don't  hemploy  young  women  'ere,"  he  said, 
looking  up  and  frowning  as  he  suddenly  became  aware 
of  my  presence. 

"I  came,"  I  explained,  taking  out  my  emeralds  and 
handing  them  to  him,  "to  ask  you  if  you  would  not, 
please,  sir,  kindly  buy  some  of  these  stones  from  me,  or, 
at  least,  advance  me  some  money  on  them." 

"This  is  not  a  pawnbroker's  shop,  heither,  mum,"  he 
replied,  as  he  carefully  examined  the  jewels,  and  then, 
suddenly  popping  the  napkin-ring  out  of  his  eye,  turned 
both  of  the  piercing  little  gray  twinklers  upon  me  and  said: 

"Where  did  you  get  these  hemeralds  from,  miss?" 

"I  was  born  with  them,  sir,"  I  said,  indignantly. 

Either  from  my  appearance,  or  for  some  other  cause, 
he  became  suddenly  suspicious,  and  not  only  would  not 
purchase  them  of  me,  but  refused  to  let  me  have  them 
till  I  could  prove  my  right  to  them.  I  was  too  young 
and  inexperienced  to  be  anything  but  furious,  and  the 
bitter,  scalding  tears  that  anger  sometimes  unlocks  to  re 
lieve  poor  woman's  outraged  feelings,  were  still  falling 
fast  when  I  reached  the  hotel  with  the  clerk  whom  the 
jeweler  had  sent  back  with  me  that  I  might  prove  by  the 
proprietor  my  ownership  of  the  jewels  with  which  I  was 
born. 

He,  in  his  sympathy,  shared  my  anger  and,  after  ex 
pressing  his  sincere  regret  that  I  should  have  been  sub 
jected  to  such  an  indignity,  advised,  as  he  snatched  the 
case  from  the  clerk  with  a  withering  look  of  scorn  trans 
lated  into  more  emphatic  language,  that  I  should  look 
carefully  over  them  to  be  sure  that  neither  this  hireling 
nor  his  master  had  abstracted  any  of  the  stones,  for  his 
experience  had  been  that  suspicion  was  born  of  guilt. 


80  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

As  he  again  locked  up  my  emeralds  irf  his  safe  he 
kindly  asked  how  much  money  I  needed,  and  begged 
that  in  the  future  I  would  permit  him  to  advance  for  me 
if  I  should  need  any,  and  furthermore,  "as  to  the  board 
and  expenses  here,"  he  said,  "  Mr.  Edwards  and  I  will  ar 
range  all  that  when  he  is  well  —  entirely  well." 

Through  the  goodness  of  God  and  the  skill  of  my  kind 
physician,  my  loved  ones  were  spared  to  me,  and  one 
day,  some  time  after  they  were  well,  as  I  was  reading 
the  paper  to  my  husband,  I  chanced  across  an  advertise 
ment  for  a  teacher  of  Latin  in  Miss  Mclntosh's  school. 
The  professor  was  going  abroad  and  wanted  some  one  to 
take  his  place  during  his  absence.  The  chuckle  of  de 
light  which  I  involuntarily  gave  as  I  read  it,  provoked 
from  the  General  the  remark  that  I  was  keeping  some 
thing  very  good  all  to  myself.  I  slyly  determined  that 
this  little  suspicion  should  be  verified  and  that  I  would 
make  an  application  at  once  for  the  position;  then,  if  I 
should  fail,  I  alone  would  suffer  from  the  disappointment. 
So,  just  as  soon  as  I  could  arrange  it,  I  donned  my  best 
clothes,  assumed  a  most  dignified  mien,  went  to  the  num 
ber  advertised  and  asked  to  see  the  professor. 

I  was  shown  into  the  primmest  of  parlors  —  the  kind 
of  room  one  feels  so  utterly  alone  in,  without  even  the 
suspicion  of  a  spirit  around  to  keep  your  own  spirit  com 
pany.  Each  piece  of  furniture  was  placed  with  mathe 
matical  precision,  and  all  was  ghost-proof.  The  proprie 
tress,  who  came  in  response  to  my  call,  seemed  put  up  in 
much  the  same  order.  She  was  tall  and  angular,  and  her 
grizzly-red  hair  was  arranged  in  three  large  puffs  (like 
fortifications,  I  thought)  on  each  side  of  her  long,  thin 
face,  high  cheek-bones,  Roman  nose,  and  eyes  crowded  up 
together  under  gold-rimmed  spectacles.  As  she  held  my 
card  in  her  hand  and  looked  at  me  with  a  narrow-gauge 


BORN  WITH  EMERALDS— NEMO  NOCETUR.  8 1 

gaze,  piercing  my  inmost  thoughts,  and  with  that  dis 
couraging  "  Well  !-what-can-I-do~for-you?"  expression,  I 
felt  all  my  courage  going.  My  necessities  aroused  me 
from  my  cowardice,  and  I  said  as  bravely  as  I  could: 

"  I  have  had  the  good  fortune  to  read  your  advertise 
ment,  madam,  in  the  paper  this  morning,  and  have  come 
in  answer  to  it.  May  I  see  the  professor?" 

Looking  curiously  at  my  card  and  then  over  her  glasses 
at  me,  she  said,  in  a  voice  like  an  animated  telephone 
through  which  some  one  was  speaking  at  the  other  end: 

"The  advertisement  was  for  a  teacher,  not  for  a  pupil." 

"I  am  perfectly  aware  of  that,"  I  answered,  "and 
came  in  response,  to  offer  my  services  to  the  professor." 

A  most  quizzical  expression  bunched  up  the  corners 
of  her  mouth  and  wiggled  across  her  little  colorless  eyes, 
as  she  said: 

"I  will  send  the  professor  down  to  you." 

Looking  over  her  spectacles  again,  as  if  for  a  verifica 
tion  of  her  first  impression  of  me,  she  was  gone. 

Returning  after  a  little  while,  she  said: 

"The  professor  requested  me  to  ask  if  you  would  be 
so  good  as  to  come  up  into  the  recitation-room." 

I  saw  as  soon  as  I  had  entered  that  a  description  of  me 
had  preceded  my  coming,  and  not  a  very  flattering  one, 
either,  I  judged,  from  the  faces  of  the  professor  and  the 
pupils. 

The  class  consisted  of  fourteen  young  ladies,  all  of 
them  apparently  older  than  I  was.  The  professor  fin 
ished  the  sentence  he  was  translating  on  the  board, 
rubbed  it  out,  wiped  his  hands  on  the  cloth,  replaced  it, 
came  forward  and  was  duly  presented  by  Miss  Mclntosh, 
who  remained  in  the  room.  He  had  a  pleasant,  round, 
smooth  face,  a  bald  head  and  large  gray  eyes,  was  short 
and  stout,  with  a  sympathetic,  cultured  voice  and  manner. 


82  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

"  Miss  Mclntosh  tells  me  you  came  in  reply  to  my  ad 
vertisement.  I  have  been  forced  to  advertise  in  order  to 
save  time,  as  my  going  abroad  is  unexpected  and  brooks 
no  delay." 

"  I  am  very  glad  you  had  no  option  but  to  advertise, 
else  it  might  not  have  been  my  good  fortune  to  know  of, 
and  respond  to,  your  wants,  sir." 

"  And  you  have  really  come  to  apply  for  the  position  ?  " 
he  asked. 

"  I  have,  sir." 

The  expression  on  Miss  Mclntosh's  face,  the  nudging 
and  suppressed  titter  among  the  pupils  which  this  an 
swer  brought  forth  was  not  calculated  to  lessen  my  em 
barrassment. 

"  Have  you  had  any  experience  in  teaching?" 

"No,  sir,"  I  said. 

"  May  I  ask  where  you  were  educated." 

"  At  home,  except  for  two  years,  sir,"  I  answered.  <(  Then 
I  went  to  Lynchburg  College,  where  I  was  graduated." 

"Is  that  in  England?" 

"Oh,  no,  sir,"  said  I,  with  astonishment  at  his  igno 
rance,  and  then  recollecting  myself  just  as  I  was  about  to 
inform  him  that  Lynchburg  was  the  fifth  town  in  popu 
lation  in  Virginia,  was  on  the  south  bank  of  the  James 
River,  one  hundred  and  sixteen  miles  from  the  capital  of 
the  State,  and  within  view  of  the  Blue  Ridge  mountains 
and  Peaks  of  Otter,  I  stopped  short,  embarrassed  by  my 
imprudence.  The  professor,  taking  no  notice  of  my  con 
fusion,  went  on  to  say: 

"And  so  you  were  graduated  there?  My  class  here 
has  just  finished  Caesar.  Do  you  remember  how  Caesar 
commences?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,"  I  said,  and  repeated:  "  Gallia  est  omnis  di- 
visa  in  partes  ires" 


BORN  WITH  EMERALDS— NEMO  NOCETUR.  83 

"You  have  the  Continental  pronunciation,  I  see." 

He  gave  me  several  sentences  to  translate;  then  an  ode 
from  Horace  and  some  selections  from  Catullus  and 
Tibullus.  By  this  time  the  pupils  were  silent,  and  Miss 
Mclntosh's  expression  was  changed. 

He  then  asked  me  to  write  and  parse  a  sentence,  which 
I  did,  saying  sotto  voce  as  he  took  the  chalk  from  me: 

"That  was  a  catch  question." 

"  Please  translate  and  parse  this,"  said  he,  without 
noticing  my  aside,  and  he  wrote  in  Latin,  "The  President 
of  the  United  States  said  *  nobody  is  hurt — 

"  Before  he  wrote  any  further,  instead  of  translating,  I 
looked  up  at  him  and  said: 

"  But,  oh,  sir!  somebody  was  hurt." 

Quickly  he  cleared  the  board,  put  down  the  cloth, 
wiped  his  hands,  turned  his  face  to  me  and  offering  his 
hand,  said,  not  to  my  surprise,  because  I  had  faith  in 
prayer,  but  rather  to  that  of  Miss  Mclntosh  and  the 
young  ladies: 

"  I  will  engage  you,  Mrs.  Edwards,  and  will  be  respon 
sible  for  you." 

We  then  went  down  to  the  parlor,  and  I  gave  him  the 
names  of  the  only  friends  I  had  in  Montreal  of  whom  he 
could  make  inquiries  regarding  me.  The  next  day  I  gave 
my  first  lesson  to  the  class.  I  became  very  fond  of  them 
all  and,  after  my  embarrassment  of  the  first  few  days,  got 
along  very  well  with  them. 

The  General  was  very  curious  to  know  where  I  went 
every  day,  but,  knowing  it  gave  me  great  pleasure  to  be 
thus  mysterious,  humored  me  and  asked  no  questions. 

My  first  month's  salary  was  spent  in  part  payment  on 
an  overcoat  for  him,  and  only  Our  Father  and  the  angels 
know  what  joy  filled  my  heart,  that  with  the  work  of  my 
hands  I  could  give  him  comfort.  Then  my  secret  was  out. 


84 


PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 


I  was  sorry  when  the  cold  weather  came.  The  snows 
not  only  put  an  end  to  the  military  reviews,  but  covered 
up  the  beautiful  green.  There  were  very  few  diversions 
for  us,  but  I  was  just  as  happy  as  it  was  possible  for  me 
to  be.  Indeed,  those  were  the  very  happiest  days  of  my 
whole  life,  and  I  was  almost  sorry  when  General  Rufus 
Ingalls  wrote  a  letter  to  my  husband,  inclosing  a  kind 
personal  letter  from  General  Grant,  together  with  the  fol 
lowing  official  assurance  of  his  safety: 


cml  $nnrtcis 


BORN  WITH  EMERALDS— NEMO  NOCETUR.  85 

General  Grant  also  wrote  that  it  had  not  been  at  all 
necessary  for  us  to  go  away  in  the  first  place,  and  that 
the  terms  of  his  cartel  should  have  been  respected,  even 
though  it  had  necessitated  another  declaration  of  war. 

We  stopped  in  New  York  en  route  to  Virginia,  ex 
pecting  to  remain  there  only  three  or  four  days,  but  we 
found  that  our  board  had  been  paid  in  advance  for  two 
weeks,  that  a  carriage  had  been  put  at  our  service  for  that 
length  of  time,  and  that  in  our  box  was  a  pack  of  wine- 
cards  marked  "Paid."  To  this  day  I  do  not  know  how 
many  people's  guests  we  were,  for  a  great  many  of  Gen 
eral  Pickett's  old  army  friends  were  there  at  the  time,  and 
they  all  vied  with  each  oth.r  in  making  it  pleasant  and 
happy  for  us. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

TURKEY  ISLAND. 

As  soon  as  we  could  make  our  plans  we  went  down 
to  Turkey  Island,  our  plantation  on  the  banks  of  the 
James  River.  A  rough  cottage,  hastily  built,  stood  on 
the  site  of  the  grand  old  colonial  mansion  burned  by 
Butler.  Around  it  were  the  great  melancholy  stumps  of 
the  old  oaks  and  elms  which  Butler  had  seen  fit  to  cut 
down. 

Turkey  Island,  called  by  the  Federal  soldiers  Turkey 
Bend,  is  in  Henrico  County,  which  is  one  of  the  original 
shires  into  which  Virginia  was  divided  in  1634. 

Historic  Richmond,  the  State  capital,  a  town  estab 
lished  in  the  reign  of  George  II.,  on  land  belonging  to 
Colonel  Byrd,  is  its  county-seat.  Brandon,  the  home  of 
the  Harrisons;  Shirley,  the  home  of  the  Carters;  and 
Westover,  the  home  of  the  Byrds,  where  Arnold  landed 
on  the  4th  of  January,  1781,  and  proceeded  on  his  march 
toward  Richmond,  are  neighboring  plantations;  and  Mal- 
vern  Hill,  where  one  of  our  internecine  battles  was  fought, 
adjoins  Turkey  Island. 

Not  far  distant  is  the  famous  Dutch  Gap  canal,  the 
useful  legacy  which  Butler  left  to  the  State  of  Virginia, 
and  which,  in  the  advantages  it  gave  the  commonwealth, 
to  some  extent  atoned  to  my  General  for  the  destruction 
of  the  Pickett  home. 

Diverting  his  troops  for  a  time  from  wanton  spolia 
tion,  Butler  set  them  to  digging  a  canal  at  Dutch  Gap  to 
connect  the  James  and  Appomattox,  thereby  shortening 

86 


TURKE  Y  ISLAND.  8  J 

by  seven  miles  the  road  to  Richmond,  and  placing  the 
State  traffic  under  a  permanent  obligation  to  his  memory. 
To  protect  his  men  while  they  worked,  he  stationed  his 
prisoners  in  the  trench  beside  them,  in  order  that  the 
Confederates  might  not  yield  to  the  otherwise  irresistible 
temptation  to  fire  upon  them. 

Butler  may  not  have  been  gifted  with  that  fascinating 
suavity  of  demeanor  which  is  necessary  to  render  a  man 
an  ever-sparkling  ornament  to  society,  but,  from  a  prac 
tical,  business  point  of  view,  he  was  not  wholly  destitute 
of  commendable  qualities.  His  Dutch  Gap  canal  is  not 
only  a  lasting  monument  to  his  progressive  spirit,  but  a 
benefit  to  commerce,  and  an  interesting  feature  which  has 
attracted  visitors  from  many  nations. 

Out  on  a  point  of  the  plantation,  back  from  the  river 
in  a  clump  of  trees  —  the  beginning  of  the  big  woods  —  is 
still  standing  a  most  interesting  monument.  The  top  of 
it  was  broken  off  by  Butler's  troops  in  a  search  for  hid 
den  treasure.  It  was  erected  by  William  and  Mary  Ran 
dolph  in  1771.  The  following  is  a  copy  of  the  inscription 
on  one  of  its  sides: 

The  foundation  of  this  pillar  was  laid  in  1771,  when  all  the  great 
rivers  of  this  country  were  swept  by  inundations  never  before  experi 
enced;  which  changed  the  face  of  nature  and  left  traces  of  their  violence 
that  will  remain  for  ages. 

My  first  visit  to  this  monument  is  one  of  the  sweetest 
memories  of  my  Turkey  Island  life.  I  had  gone  with  my 
husband  to  hunt  rabbits  and  birds  —  a  hunt  more  for  the 
meat  than  for  the  sport  in  those  poverty-stricken  days, 
when  our  larders  were  greatly  dependent  upon  the  water 
and  the  woods. 

The  day  was  fine,  and  the  dew  was  yet  glistening  as 
we  came  suddenly  and  without  warning  within  touch  of 


00  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

the  gray,  broken  monument  shut  in  and  surrounded  by 
the  great  forest  trees.  In  silence  and  solemn  awe,  in  the 
strange  light  and  sudden  cool  beneath  the  shadows  my 
hero-soldier  stacked  his  gun  and,  raising  his  cap,  he 
gently  and  silently  reached  for  my  hand.  I  slipped  it 
into  his  and  drew  close  to  him.  A  bird  was  singing  in 
the  distance. 

"God's  choir,"  he  said,  and  in  his  beautiful  voice  sang 
his  favorite  hymn,  "Guide  me,  O,  thou  great  Jehovah." 
Then  he  taught  me  these  lines: 

The  groves  are  God's  first  temples.     Ere  man  learned 

To  hew  the  shaft,  and  lay  the  architrave, 

And  spread  the  roof  above  them  —  ere  he  framed 

The  lofty  vault  to  gather  and  roll  back 

The  sound  of  anthems;  in  the  darkling  wood, 

Amidst  the  cool  and  silence,  he  knelt  down, 

And  offered  to  the  Mightiest  solemn  thanks 

And  supplication. 

"  Is  not  that  monument  one  of  the  oldest  in  Virginia?" 

1  asked  of  my  General,  who,  I  believed,  knew  everything. 

"  No,"  he  said.  "  There  are  many  older,  but  the  oldest 
one  in  the  United  States,  I  believe,  is  one  erected  to  a 
poor  fellow  who  died  on  your  birthday.  It  is  on  the 
banks  of  Neabsco  Creek  in  Fairfax  County.  Once  when 
I  was  on  furlough  Snelling  and  I  came  across  it  and 
copied  it  down.  The  poor  fellow  was  a  companion  of 
John  Smith.  The  inscription  on  the  monument  simply 
said: 

"'Here  lies  ye  body  of  Lieut.  William  Herris,  who 
died  May  16,  1608,  aged  65  years;  by  birth  a  Briton;  a 
good  soldier,  a  good  husband  and  neighbor.'" 

These  rambles  over  the  fields  and  woods,  through  the 
clover  and  sweetbrier,  keeping  step  and  chitting  with 
my  General  where  he,  as  a  boy,  had  often  tramped  with  his 


TURKEY  ISLAND.  89 

father,  are  among  the  blessedest  of  my  blessed  memories. 
My  husband's  classic  taste  and  perfect  harmony  and  sim 
ple,  pure  heart  made  him  a  great  lover  of  nature,  and  the 
trees  and  the  plants,  the  stones,  the  sod,  the  ground,  the 
waters,  the  sky,  and  all  living  animals,  were  his  kin. 

Though  my  warrior  was  a  lion  in  battle,  he  was  gentle, 
amiable,  good-humored,  affectionate,  and  hospitable  in 
his  home.  The  same  exuberant  and  hopeful  spirit  which 
cheered  and  encouraged  his  soldiers  in  the  field  was  felt 
in  his  home  life.  All  the  world  are  witnesses  of  his  pa 
triotism  and  unselfishness,  as  he  offered  his  life  for  the 
success  of  the  cause  in  which  he  had  faith.  He  was  never 
disheartened  by  the  most  complicated  difficulties.  Un 
spoiled  by  fame,  just  and  loyal,  he  deserved  the  love  he 
received  —  for  he  was  worshiped  by  his  family,  idolized 
by  his  soldiers,  honored  by  all  parties  and  all  nations  — 
my  brave  warrior,  as  simple  as  a  child,  as  high-minded  as 
he  of  whom  the  word-magician  said: 

Every  god  did  seem  to  set  his  seal,  to  give  the  world  assurance 
of  a  man. 

It  was  here,  on  the  site  of  the  old  home,  beautiful 
still,  though  so  sadly  changed,  among  the  dead  stumps 
where  once  waved  the  foliage  of  the  magnificent  ancestral 
trees,  we  began  to  write  our  story  for  our  children  and,  as 
the  General  said,  "  for  the  children  of  the  old  division, 
if  it  is  good  enough." 

Far  away  from  our  dear  old  Turkey  Island  and  the 
sweet  old  days  I  finish  the  task  which  we,  in  happy 
mood,  set  for  ourselves. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

MEXICAN  AND    INDIAN  WARS. 

"  Right  or  wrong,  my  country."  Statesmen  may  argue 
—  soldiers  must  fight. 

When  in  1819  the  United  States,  in  the  exuberance  of 
her  territorial  wealth,  voluntarily  threw  Texas  into  the 
hands  of  Spain  as  a  bonus  for  the  cession  of  Florida,  for 
which  adequate  compensation  had  been  already  given, 
it  would  have  taken  a  far-sighted  statesman  to  foretell 
that  the  lavish  extravagance  would  sometime  furnish 
occasion  for  an  unjust  war  of  aggression. 

The  seeds  were  sown  then  with  spendthrift  hand,  to  be 
reaped  in  a  harvest  of  darkness  little  more  than  a  quarter 
of  a  century  later  and,  whatever  a  soldier  may  have 
thought  of  the  justice  of  the  cause,  his  duty  was  to  follow 
his  flag. 

The  West  Point  class  of  1846  probably  held  that  all 
that  "pomp  and  circumstance  of  glorious  war"  was  set 
upon  the  stage  especially  for  their  instruction  and  em 
ployment.  Whether  it  was  or  not,  that  fortunate  class 
was  ushered  upon  the  scene  just  in  time  to  get  the  full 
benefit  of  the  situation. 

Thus  it  happened  that  when  General  Scott  led  to 
the  siege  of  Vera  Cruz  his  devoted  band  of  warriors, 
accompanied  by  a  pontoon-train,  "  to  cross  rivers,"  in 
a  region  conspicuously  devoid  of  those  picturesque 
physical  features,  Lieutenant  George  E.  Pickett,  just 
from  West  Point,  was  one  of  the  number.  I  quote  from 
a  letter  just  received  from  Major  Edwin  A.  Sherman, 

90 


which  ai 
it  would 
that  the 


occaso 


o 


.  issation  Had  been*  already  g 
a  far-sighted  statesman  to  foretell 
extravagance   would   sometime    furnish 
unjust  war  of  aggression, 

e  sown  then  with  sr  ~>  be 

~st  of  darkness  iiitle  more  -than  *.  <{*&rtef 
ter  and,  whatever   a    tidier  s*a«  h»vc 
^tice  oi  the  cause,  h 


that  "p 
upon  t] 
ployme 


us  it    ii'iij 
iege  of    V' 

icd  b 


int  class  of  1846  probably  held  tital  all 
circumstance  of  glorious  wa*  "  wns  set 
especially  for  their  instruction  and  em 
2th"er  it  was  or  not,  that  fortunate  class 
n  the  scene  just  in  time  to  get  the  full 

>n. 

tijcd  that  *hcn   General  Scott   Ie<l  U» 

«a  CTM»  J«^    $e#oted  band  ol  w^flhNW% 

i  t  "  to  cro-  ir 


/ 


MEXICAN  AND  INDIAN  WARS.  QI 

of  California,  a  comrade  of  Lieutenant  Pickett  in  those 
early  days: 

I  knew  the  gallant  George  E.  Pickett  when  he  first  received  his 
commission  as  second  lieutenant  in  the  United  States  army  and  joined 
his  regiment,  the  Eighth  United  States  Infantry,  Colonel  and  Brevet 
Major-General  William  J.  Worth,  soon  after  the  battle  of  Monterey; 
and  at  Saltillo,  Mexico,  under  General  Zachary  Taylor;  and  under  Gen 
eral  Winfield  Scott  from  Vera  Cruz  to  the  capture  of  the  City  of  Mexico. 

He  was  in  the  first  line  in  order  of  landing  on  the 
beach  of  Collado  on  the  gth  of  March,  1847,  when  the 
setting  sun  was  reflected  from  the  silvery  crown  of  Ori 
zaba,  the  batteries  of  San  Juan  de  Ulloa  frowning  down 
upon  the  intruders  and  giving  them  grim  welcome  with  a 
menacing  salute  of  heavy  guns. 

On  March  22  General  Scott  summoned  the  city  of  Vera 
Cruz  and  the  castle  to  surrender,  an  invitation  which 
was  declined  with  that  distinguished  politeness  which 
marks  the  bearing  of  the  Spaniard,  whether  in  the  sunny 
land  of  the  ancient  Castilian,  or  the  more  rugged  sur 
roundings  which  environ  the  inhabitants  of  the  Spanish 
regions  of  the  New  World. 

Unfortunately  for  the  gallant  little  city  of  Vera  Cruz, 
revolutions  do  not  stop  in  Spanish- American  countries  for 
a  slight  circumstance  like  a  foreign  invasion.  Invasions  are, 
in  a  manner,  accidental  and  epidemic  in  character — revo 
lutions  are  endemic,  perennial,  and  necessary  to  civic  and 
aesthetic  existence.  The  only  time  that  a  Spanish-Ameri 
can  may  be  said  to  be  in  danger  of  falling  into  melan 
cholia  and  contracting  hypochondriac  dyspepsia  is  in  the 
accidental  interlude  that  may  once  in  a  very  great  while 
intervene  between  revolutions. 

One  of  these  festivities  was  at  that  time  prevailing  in 
the  City  of  Mexico,  and  the  brave  little  town  of  Vera 
Cruz,  with  its  garrison  of  thirty-three  hundred  and  sixty 


92  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

men,  counting  the  castle  force,  was  left  to  cht>ose  between 
death  and  the  eternal  stain  of  infamy  which  would  blot  her 
honor  if  she  tamely  surrendered.  She  chose  death. 

The  sister  city  of  Puebla,  having  a  vacation  between 
revolutions,  sent  twenty  thousand  dollars  to  assist  in  pre 
paring  for  the  siege,  and  medical  and  surgical  supplies 
were  procured  with  money  gained  by  the  ladies  of  Vera 
Cruz  by  means  of  amateur  theatrical  performances.  Per 
haps  it  is  well  for  the  race  that  the  human  mind  does  not 
lose  its  interest  in  the  mimic  stage  even  in  the  presence 
of  the  most  solemn  and  impressive  tragedy  of  real  life. 

With  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  fact  that  the  city 
could  not  be  successfully  defended  by  an  inside  force, 
even  though  it  had  been  much  larger  than  it  actually 
was,  heroic  little  Vera  Cruz  shut  herself  up  within  her  old 
Spanish  walls  to  die  for  honor. 

For  seven  days  the  doomed  city  endured  a  combined 
assault  of  Scott's  army  and  a  terrific  tempest  of  wind  and 
sand  which  nature  had  precipitated  upon  the  unfortunate 
little  town.  On  the  morning  of  the  2Qth  of  March  the 
garrison  marched  out  with  all  the  honors  of  war  through 
the  Gate  of  Mercy,  stacked  arms  in  the  Plain  of  Cocos, 
the  lowered  colors  saluted  by  a  conqueror  whose  respect 
and  admiration  could  withhold  no  honor  which  might  be 
granted  to  a  vanquished  but  not  inglorious  foe. 

It  may  be  interesting  to  the  reader  of  subsequent  his 
tory  to  note  that  the  batteries  turned  with  such  telling 
effect  against  the  courageous  little  garrison  of  Vera  Cruz 
were  arranged  by  Robert  E.  Lee,  captain  of  engineers,  a 
member  of  General  Scott's  military  staff,  with  the  assist 
ance  of  Lieutenant  Beauregard. 

Plucky  little  Vera  Cruz  having  been  disposed  of,  Gen 
eral  Scott  started  on  a  northwest  march,  his  object  being 
the  City  of  Mexico,  two  hundred  miles  away.  Santa  Anna 


MEXICAN  AND  INDIAN  WARS.  93 

had  some  days  the  start  of  him,  and  when  the  division 
of  General  Twiggs  reached  the  pass  of  Cerro  Gordo  he 
found  there  a  battery  and  a  hostile  line  crossing  the  road. 

Captain  Joseph  E.  Johnston,  topographical  engineer, 
discovered  these  obstacles  to  comfortable  progress,  hav 
ing  the  misfortune,  while  prospecting  for  them,  to  arrest 
two  musket-balls  proceeding  on  their  lively  way.  Some 
of  us  may  be  impressed  by  the  fact  that  Joseph  E.  early 
formed  the  habit  of  stopping  musket-balls,  and  that  it 
lingered  with  him  uncomfortably  until  a  much  later  period 
in  his  military  career. 

Santa  Anna,  being  aware  of  these  explorations  on  the 
part  of  the  invader,  spent  the  I2th  of  August  in  examin 
ing  his  lines  and  preparing  for  an  attack  the  next  day. 
Having  attended  to  his  military  duties,  he  dined  with  his 
staff  and  high  officers,  enjoying  the  patriotic  music  of  his 
fine  band,  and  congratulating  himself  and  his  friends  upon 
the  prospect  of  having  yellow  fever  as  a  valuable  ally  in 
fighting  the  enemy,  a  pious  aspiration  which  has  since 
been  known  to  bring  solace  to  the  Spanish  mind. 

The  longed-for  ally  did  not  appear  in  time  to  be  of 
service,  and  the  next  day  the  crags  of  Cerro  Gordo, 
through  which  Santa  Anna  had  said  "not  even  a  goat 
could  pick  his  way,"  were  overrun  with  the  soldiers  of 
General  Shields.  Santa  Anna's  chief  of  cuirassiers, 
Velasco,  fell  at  the  foot  of  Telegrafo;  and  Vasquez,  the 
central  hero  of  the  Mexican  army,  the  admiration  of 
friend  and  foe  alike,  surrounded  by  the  guns  of  his  bat 
tery,  had  the  happiness  to  meet  a  soldier's  glorious 
death. 

In  the  rocky  cliffs  of  the  Telegrafo,  Captain  John  B. 
Magruder  gave  evidence  of  those  fighting  qualities  which 
were  afterward  to  be  used  against  the  flag  for  which  he 
was  now  doing  such  valiant  battle. 


94  PICK'S  TT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

The  way  to  Mexico  was  opened  on  the  igth  and  20th 
of  August  by  the  battle  of  Contreras,  in  which  our  young 
Second-Lieutenant  Pickett  received  his  first  wound  in  the 
service  of  his  country.  This  experience,  however,  did  not 
prevent  his  doing  good  work  at  the  battle  of  Churubusco, 
he  being  in  one  of  the  two  regiments  which  crossed  the 
Rio  Churubusco  and  held  the  causeway  which  led  to  the 
city.  The  historian  says: 

Brevet-Major  George  Wright,  Captains  Bumford  and  Larkin  Smith, 
First  Lieutenant  and  Adjutant  James  Longstreet,  Second  Lieutenants 
James  G.  S.  Snelling  and  George  E.  Pickett,  of  the  Eighth  Infantry, 
were  all  distinguished  at  this  point. 

There  is  more  than  one  name  in  that  list  of  the  glorious 
old  Eighth  which  will  be  seen  again  in  the  record  of  the 
nation's  history.  The  brevet  which  Lieutenant  Pickett 
received  for  distinguished  gallantry  at  Contreras  and 
Churubusco  must  have  had  as  much  influence  as  the  min 
istrations  of  the  surgeons  in  healing  all  his  wounds. 

He  was  more  fortunate  in  the  battle  of  El  Molino  del 
Rey  from  which,  though  he  was  one  of  the  storming  party 
that  Worth  sent  against  the  mill  in  this  most  bloody  of 
the  battles  of  the  Mexican  war,  he  emerged  without  a 
scratch.  His  brother  lieutenant,  J.  G.  S.  Snelling,  was 
less  happy,  being  severely  wounded  in  the  charge. 

After  this  battle,  which  resulted  in  the  complete  rout 
of  the  Mexican  army,  Santa  Anna,  to  revive  the  sinking 
spirits  of  his  people,  proclaimed  that  he  had  won  a  great 
victory.  This  circumstance  may  serve  to  recall  to  the 
mind  of  the  reader  of  recent  events  the  old  adage,  "  His 
tory  repeats  itself." 

East  of  Molino  del  Rey  was  a  magnificent  grove  of 
cypress  trees  planted  by  the  kings  away  back  in  the  days 
of  Aztec  glory.  Here  Montezuma  had  his  villa,  Chapul- 


MEXICAN  AND  INDIAN  WARS.  Q5 

tepee,  "the  hill  of  the  grasshopper,"  and  here,  on  the 
morning  of  July  13,  1847,  ^e^  the  last  descendant  of  that 
brave  old  monarch,  fighting  with  the  usurpers  under 
whose  cruel  hand  had  sunk  the  glory  of  his  great  ancestor. 

Chapultepec  was  the  key  to  the  City  of  Mexico  and, 
as  it  stood  in  sullen  strength,  crowned  by  batteries,  sur 
rounded  by  breastworks  and  defended  by  mines,  it  must 
have  seemed  to  the  observer  that  the  capital  was  securely 
locked  and  bolted. 

Fourteen  hours  of  steady  fire  on  the  I2th  of  Septem 
ber  prepared  the  way  for  the  grand  assault  of  the  I3th. 
In  this  attack  Lieutenant-Colonel  J.  E.  Johnston  led  one 
column.  Lieutenant  Lewis  A.  Armistead,  of  the  Sixth 
Infantry,  was  the  first  to  leap  into  the  great  ditch  sur 
rounding  the  fortress. 

Ascending  the  hill  to  the  castle,  Lieutenant  James 
Longstreet  was  severely  wounded,  and  was  carried  off  the 
field  by  Captain  Bumford.  As  he  fell  Lieutenant  Pickett 
sprang  to  his  place  and  led  on  the  men.  The  colors  of 
the  regiment  were  borne  by  Corporal  McCauly  of  Company 
I,  who  fell  wounded,  being  the  sixth  color-bearer  to  be  shot 
within  five  days.  Lieutenant  Pickett  seized  the  flag,  carried 
it  as  he  charged  up  the  height,  and,  while  the  battle  raged 
below,  took  down  the  Mexican  standard  and  planted  the 
colors  of  the  Eighth  Regiment  with  the  national  flag  in 
triumph  on  the  summit  of  the  castle  of  Chapultepec. 
For  this  act  of  gallantry  he  was  brevetted  captain. 

Mr.  Sherman  says  of  Lieutenant  Pickett  at  this  time: 

In  all  the  battles  from  the  siege  of  Vera  Cruz,  Cerro  Gordo,  Chu- 
rubusco,  and  Molino  del  Rey,  when  he  was  the  first  to  plant  the  American 
flag  and  the  colors  of  his  regiment  upon  the  parapet  of  the  castle  of 
Chapultepec,  to  the  surrender  of  the  City  of  Mexico,  he  carved  a  path 
way  of  glory  and  fame  in  the  years  of  his  younger  manhood,  that  com 
manded  the  admiration  and  pride  of  all  who  had  the  honor  to  serve  with 
and  under  him  to  the  entrance  of  the  Halls  of  the  Montezumas.  His  ex- 


g  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

ample  inspired  the  rank  and  file  of  his  regiment  to  the  highest  pitch  of 
courage  and  valor,  that  warranted  the  promotion  of  some  of  them  from 
the  ranks  to  commissioned  officers  in  the  army  for  gallantry  upon  the 
field  of  battle. 

Lieutenant  Jackson,  later  known  to  fame  as  "Stone 
wall,"  led  a  section  of  Magruder's  artillery,  and  was  bre- 
vetted  major  for  skill  and  bravery. 

The  battle  of  Chapultepec  was  pervaded  with  a  literary 
atmosphere  by  the  presence  of  Captain  Mayne  Reid. 

Having  successfully  turned  the  key,  the  American 
army  proceeded  to  march  on  to  the  citadel  by  the  way  of 
the  gates  Belen  and  San  Cosme.  Over  the  Belen  gate 
Quitman,  after  a  fierce  contest,  waved  the  flag  of  the 
Palmetto  regiment  in  token  of  victory. 

The  gallant  Eighth  was  a  part  of  the  column  led  by 
Worth  against  the  gate  of  San  Cosme.  In  the  fierce 
struggle  which  resulted  in  the  surrender  of  the  last  bar 
rier  to  the  Mexican  capital,  Lieutenant  Pickett  did  valiant 
service,  for  which  he  has  received  honorable  mention  in 
history.  On  the  night  of  the  I3th  Santa  Anna  evacuated 
the  City  of  Mexico,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  I4th 
Scott's  army  took  possession  of  the  Halls  of  the  Monte- 
zumas. 

Thus  the  curtain  fell  on  the  first  act  in  the  drama  of 
the  military  career  of  the  youthful  warrior  who  was  des 
tined  to  lead  the  greatest  charge  known  to  history. 

After  the  close  of  the  Mexican  war  Lieutenant  Pickett 
served  for  a  number  of  years  in  Texas  and  upon  the 
southern  frontier. 

He  commanded  a  company  in  the  Ninth  Infantry, 
which  was  recruited  and  organized  at  Old  Point  Comfort 
in  the  summer  of  1855.  Early  in  December  the  regiment 
was  ordered  to  the  Pacific  coast  by  way  of  the  Isthmus, 
and  left  Fortress  Monroe  on  the  St.  Louis.  Before  it 


MEXICAN  AND  INDIAN  WARS.  97 

reached  the  Isthmus  it  was  divided,  six  companies  under 
Colonel  Wright  being  placed  on  one  of  the  Pacific  steam 
ers.  Four  companies,  one  of  which  was  Captain  Pick- 
ett's,  under  command  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Casey,  set 
sail  on  another  steamer. 

The  voyage  to  San  Francisco,  where  the  first  stop  was 
made,  consumed  between  three  and  four  weeks.  Here 
the  regiment  was  ordered  to  Oregon  and  Washington 
Territories,  six  companies  going  to  Fort  Vancouver,  and 
four  to  Puget  Sound. 

Captain  Pickett's  company  was  one  of  those  which 
went  to  the  Sound,  and  was  soon  after  stationed  at  Bel- 
lingham  Bay,  where  their  captain  remained  as  command 
ing  officer. 

An  Indian  war  was  then  raging,  the  tribes  in  all  the 
region  from  California  to  British  America,  numbering 
about  forty-two  thousand  warriors,  having  risen  against 
the  northwestern  settlers.  Opposed  to  this  formidable 
array  were  fourteen  hundred  regulars  and  two  thousand 
volunteers.  Two  years  of  warfare  reduced  the  Indians  to 
such  a  degree  of  submission  that  no  tribe  among  them, 
except  the  Modocs,  ever  again  made  war. 

Captain  Pickett  was  greatly  distinguished  in  this  war, 
not  only  as  a  soldier,  but  as  a  promoter  of  the  arts  of 
peace.  He  made  friends  even  of  his  enemies,  learning 
the  dialects  of  the  different  tribes,  that  he  might  be  able 
to  teach  them  better  principles  of  life  than  any  they  had 
known. 

Over  them  he  exerted  an  almost  mesmeric  influence. 
The  red  men  were  all  his  friends,  but  the  most  devoted 
among  them  were  the  Nootkams  and  Chinooks,  who 
greeted  and  spoke  of  him  always  as  "Hyas  Tyee,"  "Hyas 
Kloshe  Tyee,"  "Nesika  Tyee,"  "Great  Chief,"  "Great 
Good  Chief,"  "Our  Chief."  He  translated  into  their  own 


98  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

tp 
jargon,  and  taught  them  to  say,  and  to  sing,  some  of  our 

most  beautiful  hymns  and  national  airs,  and  the  Lord's 
Prayer: 

Nesika  Papa  klaksta  mitlite  kopa  saghalie,  tik-egh 
pee  kloshe  kopa  nesika  turn-turn  Mika  nem;  Kloshe  pee 
Kloshe  Mika  hyas  Saghalie  Tyee  kopa  konaway  tilikum: 
Klosha  kwah-ne-sum  Mika  turn-turn  kopa  illahie,  kakwa 
kopa  Mika  saghalie.  Potlatch  konaway  sun  nesika  muck- 
amuck  pee  chuck  pee  itl-wil-lie.  Spose  nesika  mamook 
masachie,  wake  Mika  hyas  Saghalie  Tyee  hyas  solleks, 
pee  spose  klaksta  massachie  kopa  nesika,  klaksta  mitlite 
kee-kwi-he,  nesika  solleks  kopa  klaska.  Mam-ook  tip- 
shin  nesika  kok-shut.  Mahsh  siah  kopa  nesika  kon-away 
massachie.  Nesika  turn-turn  pee  tik-egh.  Wah-ne-sun. 
Kloshe  kahkwa. 

Our  Father  who  lives  in  the  far  above,  beloved  and 
hallowed  in  our  hearts  [be]  Thy  name;  Great  and  good 
Thou  great  The  above  Chief  among  all  people:  Good 
always  Thy  will  upon  earth  as  in  Thy  far  above.  Give 
every  day  our  food  and  water  and  meat.  If  we  do  ill, 
[be]  not  Thou  [the]  great  far  above  Chief  very  angry, 
and  if  any  one  evil  towards  us,  not  we  angry  towards 
them.  Mend  up  our  broken  ways.  Send  away  far  from 
us  all  evil.  Thine  is  the  great  strength  and  love.  For 
all  the  suns.  Good  so. 

When  Captain  Pickett  quitted  the  Pacific  coast  he  left 
no  truer  mourners  than  these  simple  aborigines,  whose 
hearts  had  yielded  to  kindness  as  the  flower  opens  to  the 
gentle  rays  of  the  sun. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

SAN    JUAN. 

When  Charles  II.,  on  the  i6th  of  May,  1670,  granted  a 
charter  to  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  composed  of 
Prince  Rupert  and  seventeen  other  enterprising  spirits, 
with  the  primary  object  of  "the  discovery  of  a  new  pas 
sage  into  the  South  Sea,"  as  the  Pacific  Ocean  was  then 
known,  and  the  secondary  purpose  of  trade  with  foreign 
countries,  he  did  not  look  forward  to  the  complications 
which  would  arise  therefrom  for  future  generations  to  un 
ravel.  It  was  not  a  characteristic  of  the  Stuarts  to  take 
thought  of  the  morrow.  They  followed  their  own  sweet 
will  to-day,  happy  if  on  the  morrow  some  other  head 
came  off  instead  of  their  own.  In  the  case  of  the  Hud 
son's  Bay  Company,  in  addition  to  other  disadvantages,  a 
nice  piece  of  other  people's  property  was  lost  to  the 
English  crown,  an  experience  which  is  regarded  as  dele 
terious  to  the  British  constitution. 

Charles  II.,  like  some  other  men,  had  come  into  the 
world  nearly  a  century  too  late  for  the  full  perfection  of 
his  plans;  that  is,  if  he  ever  had  any  plans  except  for  the 
extraction  of  as  much  amusement  as  possible  out  of  the 
passing  moment,  and  the  murder  of  the  unfortunate  peo 
ple  who  had  been  most  loyal  to  him  in  his  exile.  If  his 
schemes  included  any  permanent  designs  upon  the  north 
west  coast  of  America,  Alexander  VI.,  Pope  of  Rome, 
had  thwarted  them  by  preceding  the  royal  robber  and 
making  the  most  of  the  advantage  which  accrues  to  the 
man  who  is  first  upon  the  field,  if  he  has  the  wit  to 

99 


100  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

•I 

comprehend  his   privileges  and  the  force  to  seize  upon 
them. 

Under  the  papal  bull  of  1493,  Spain  claimed  by  dis 
covery  the  entire  Pacific  coast  from  Panama  to  Nootka 
Sound  on  Vancouver's  Island,  including  harbors,  islands 
and  fisheries,  and  extending  indefinitely  inland,  covering 
the  original  Oregon  Territory,  which  contained  Oregon, 
Washington,  Idaho  and  British  Columbia,  up  to  fifty-four 
forty.  Spain  has  never  fallen  behind  the  most  enterpris 
ing  regions  of  the  world  in  the  matter  of  claiming  things. 
Her  weakness  lies  mainly  in  respect  to  holding  them. 

In  1513,  when,  from  a  promontory,  the  delighted  vision 
of  Balboa  first  rested  upon  the  peaceful  waves  of  the 
Pacific,  which  by  their  gentle  movement  gave  to  the  great 
sea  its  reposeful  name,  the  discoverer  of  this  majestic 
ocean  took  possession  of  it  for  his  king  as  a  private  sea. 

In  1558  that  most  distinguished  pirate,  Sir  Francis 
Drake,  visited  the  northwestern  coast,  and  in  1579  he 
erected  a  monument  there  to  signify  the  fact  that  he  had 
graciously  accepted  the  sovereignty  of  that  region  for  his 
queen,  who  occasionally  turned  from  her  amiable  vocation 
of  cutting  off  the  heads  of  her  lovers  and  otherwise 
bringing  those  devoted  victims  to  discomfiture,  to  the 
truly  royal  British  diversion  of  accepting  her  neighbor's 
lands. 

The  first  attempt  of  the  English  to  open  traffic  on  the 
northwestern  coast  met  with  opposition  from  the  Spanish 
government,  and  for  nearly  two  centuries  the  rival  nations 
enjoyed  the  privilege,  so  dear  to  regal  souls,  of  carrying 
on  a  desultory  warfare  over  the  territory  occupied  by 
beasts  clothed  in  furs  worth  far  more  in  the  markets  of 
the  world  than  the  human  beings  who,  tortured  by  the 
greed  and  oppression  of  despotic  European  powers, 
might  have  found  a  refuge  here.'  It  is  not  alone  in  the 


SAN  JUAN.  JP1 

nineteenth  century  that  man  has  fallen  below  par  in  the 
market-place. 

England  claimed  the  right  to  the  trade  accruing  from 
the  facilities  so  lavishly  afforded  by  nature  on  the  north 
western  coast,  but  when  she  attempted  to  enforce  that  al 
leged  right  Spain  captured  and  confiscated  her  vessels. 
This  action  brought  the  question  into  the  tangled  web  of 
diplomacy,  wherein  verbal  niceties  are  skilfully  made  to 
do  service  instead  of  batteries  and  bayonets,  as  being 
safer  and  better  adapted  to  the  gradually  deteriorating 
physiques  of  men. 

In  1789  the  issue  was  made  at  Nootka  Sound.  The 
younger  Pitt,  actuated  by  an  inherited  hatred  of  Spain, 
shaped  the  policy  which  ended  in  the  Nootka  treaty  of 
1790.  There  is  no  doubt  as  to  the  strength  of  Pitt's  ani 
mosity  to  the  rival  country,  but  the  power  of  his  diplo 
macy  may  be  questioned,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  Great 
Britain  failed  in  her  effort  to  secure  the  coveted  division 
of  territory,  and  was  granted  only  the  right  to  navigate, 
trade  and  fish  on  the  northwestern  coast.  The  treaty  was 
exclusively  commercial,  and  in  nowise  territorial.  Spain 
retained  her  sovereignty  over  all  the  land.  Four  years 
later  Spain,  without  formally  relinquishing  her  rights, 
withdrew  from  Nootka  Sound  and  fixed  her  boundary  at 
the  present  northern  limit  of  California.  This  removed 
from  the  situation  Spain  as  an  actual  claimant.  This 
treaty  was  abrogated  in  1796  by  the  war  between  England 
and  Spain. 

As  a  result  of  the  fall  of  the  French  power  in  North 
America  on  the  Plains  of  Abraham  one  sad  September 
day  in  1759,  France  transferred  to  Spain  all  her  territorial 
possessions  on  the  west  of  the  Mississippi,  being  impelled 
thereto  by  the  necessities  of  war  and  by  the  fear  that  her 
remaining  American  possessions  might  fall  into  British 


PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

% 

hands.  She  never  recovered  from  this  blow  to  her  inter 
ests  and  her  pride,  and  in  1800  was  quite  ready  to  accept 
the  offer  of  the  King  of  Spain  to  exchange  Louisiana  for 
Tuscany,  in  order  to  secure  a  bridal  present  for  his  daughter, 
who,  having  married  too  small  a  fraction  of  the  earth  for 
a  royal  potato-patch,  must  be  provided  with  a  piece  of 
ground  worth  reigning  over.  This  Spanish  territory  of 
Louisiana  included  the  former  territory  of  Oregon,  and 
by  this  barter  passed  over  to  France. 

Failing  in  his  ambition  to  restore  a  grand  new  France 
in  America,  and  fearing  the  growing  encroachments  of 
the  English,  Napoleon,  in  1803,  sold  the  territory  to  the 
United  States,  who,  by  this  purchase,  acquired  all  that 
Spain  had  ever  held  in  the  Northwest  above  the  forty- 
second  parallel,  which  Spain  claimed  extended  to  fifty- 
four  forty.  The  claim  to  all  the  coast  up  to  the  forty-ninth 
parallel  is  made  absolute  by  the  fact  that  the  treaty  of 
Utrecht  fixed  the  limit  of  the  French  possessions  at  that 
point,  and  when  France  yielded  to  Spain  in  1762  all  her 
possessions  west  of  the  Mississippi,  Spain  had  constantly 
affirmed  her  title  up  to  fifty-four  forty.  Subsequently  she 
conveyed  to  France  all  her  claim  to  the  forty-ninth  paral 
lel  and  it  was  afterward  conveyed  to  the  United  States 
by  France.  In  1814  a  new  commercial  treaty  was  made 
between  Great  Britain  and  Spain,  reaffirming  the  Nootka 
treaty,  which  was  a  virtual  concession  by  Great  Britain 
of  the  claim  of  Spain  to  fifty-four  forty.  Anything  that 
Spain  owned  beyond  this  was  ceded  to  the  United  States 
by  the  Florida  treaty  of  1819,  which  transferred  all  the 
Spanish  possessions  north  of  forty-two. 

These  transactions  left  the  question  of  boundary  which 
followed  the  old  Spanish  claim  to  be  settled  by  England, 
Russia  and  the  United  States,  Russia's  claim  being  based 
on  the  discoveries  of  Bering.  Later  Russia  put  forth  a 


SAN  JUAN.  103 

claim  to  all  the  northwest  coast  and  islands  north  of  lati 
tude  fifty-one.  John  Quincy  Adams,  then  Secretary  of 
State,  denied  that  Russia  had  any  claim  south  of  fifty-five. 
Great  Britain  also  protested.  The  American  objections 
were  emphasized  in  1823  by  the  Monroe  Doctrine,  which 
provided  that  the  American  continents  were  not  to  be 
considered  subjects  of  colonization  by  any  European 
power.  It  was  finally  agreed  that  the  United  States 
should  not  make  claims  north  of  fifty-four  forty,  nor  the 
Russians  south  of  that  line.  A  like  agreement  was  made 
with  Great  Britain,  and  the  two  were  to  continue  ten  years, 
with  the  privilege  of  navigation  and  trade  where  they  had 
previously  existed.  At  the  end  of  the  stipulated  decade 
Russia  served  notice  on  the  other  two  governments  of  the 
discontinuance  of  British  and  American  trade  and  navi 
gation  north  of  fifty-four  forty. 

Russia  had  previously  established  two  posts  in  Cali 
fornia,  the  existence  of  which  was  an  annoyance  to  Eng 
land,  and  after  various  devices  for  ridding  the  lower  coast 
of  the  unwelcome  intrusion,  Russia  agreed,  at  the  re 
quest  of  the  United  States,  to  withdraw  from  California 
and  relinquish  all  claim  south  of  fifty-four  forty.  This 
removed  Russia  from  the  competition  for  Oregon,  and  left 
England  and  the  United  States  to  adjust  the  quarrel  be 
tween  themselves. 

Among  the  claims  made  by  Great  Britain  was  that  of 
the  Columbia  River,  a  claim  based  upon  "  original  dis 
covery."  There  were  other  "original"  things  connected 
with  this  subject  besides  the  "discovery";  in  fact,  much 
more  "original"  than  the  discovery. 

Captain  Robert  Gray,  of  the  American  ship  Columbia, 
found  the  river  and  gave  it  the  name  of  his  vessel.  He 
afterward  told  Vancouver  of  the  existence  and  location  of 
the  stream,  whereupon  Vancouver,  with  true  British  en- 


IO4  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

terprise,  went  to  the  point  designated  and  proceeded  to 
discover  the  river  with  scientific  precision  and  phenome 
nal  keenness.  It  is  possible  that,  to  the  obscure  vision  of 
an  unenlightened  world,  such  a  "discovery"  might  not 
come  strictly  under  the  descriptive  title  of  "original," 
but  the  English  government  promptly  invested  it  with 
novelty  by  inventing  a  phase  of  "original  discovery" 
henceforth  to  be  known  as  "progressive."  In  the  fine 
art  of  diplomatic  verbiage  England  has  always  held  the 
position  of  past  master. 

From  this  time  Oregon  furnished  a  subject  of  con 
tention  for  the  statesmen  of  England  and  the  United 
States.  It  lay  like  a  smoldering  fire,  half  darkened 
under  its  ashes  until  a  little  wind  of  excitement  would 
blow  suddenly  against  it  and  fan  it  into  a  vivid  flame  to 
burn  brightly  till  the  breeze  shifted  to  some  other 
quarter  and  the  flame  would  sink  again  into  a  fitful 
slumber. 

It  was  claimed  by  the  United  States  that  the  Oregon 
country  between  forty-two  and  fifty-four  forty  was  part 
of  the  Louisiana  cession  made  by  Napoleon  in  1803. 
England  refusing  to  recognize  this  claim,  the  question  re 
mained  unsettled  until  1818,  when  a  treaty  of  joint  occu 
pancy  was  agreed  upon,  and  renewed  in  1827.  The  con 
ditions  of  this  treaty  were  that  there  should  be  equality 
between  the  two  nations  in  their  occupancy  of  this  terri 
tory.  It  is  unnecessary  to  state  that  the  equality,  if  it 
ever  existed,  soon  disappeared.  There  may  come  a  time 
when  the  lion  will  lie  down  with  the  lamb  on  some  other 
condition  than  the  one  predicted  by  a  modern  prophet, 
that  the  lamb  will  be  inside  of  the  lion,  but  the  lion  in  the 
case  will  not  be  of  that  species  known  as  the  British  lion. 

This  situation,  with  all  its  discomforts,  continued  until 
the  Presidential  campaign  of  1844,  when  the  Democratic 


SAN  JUAN.  IO5 

platform  sent  the  war-cry  of  "  fifty-four  forty  or  fight," 
resounding  throughout  the  land. 

This  belligerent  alternative  was  averted  by  the  treaty 
of  June  15,  1846,  which  drew  the  line  of  division  south 
ward  in  such  a  way  as  to  give  the  whole  of  Vancouver's 
Island  to  the  English  and  reserve  to  the  United  States  the 
archipelago  of  which  San  Juan  Island  is  a  part.  This 
concession  was  made  by  the  United  States  to  avoid  cut 
ting  through  Vancouver's  and  thus  depriving  the  British 
of  a  part  of  the  island.  A  few  months  later  Great  Britain 
manifested  a  desire  to  claim  a  line  through  Rosario  Strait, 
near  the  continent,  as  the  boundary,  thus  throwing  all  the 
islands  of  the  Haro  Archipelago  within  British  juris 
diction.  This  attempt  was  promptly  met  by  Mr.  Ban 
croft,  then  minister  to  England,  and  for  a  time  it  was 
apparently  abandoned. 

In  January,  1848,  Mr.  Crampton,  the  British  minister 
to  the  United  States,  submitted  a  proposition  which  in 
volved  the  transference  to  Great  Britain  of  all  the  islands 
in  the  Haro  Archipelago. 

In  1852  the  Territory  of  Oregon  included  the  Haro 
Archipelago  in  one  of  its  counties.  After  this  the  Hud 
son's  Bay  Company,  always  the  rival  and  enemy  of  the 
United  States  in  the  Northwest,  established  a  post  on  San 
Juan. 

This  company  had  for  nearly  two  centuries  been  the 
obstacle  in  the  way  of  peace  and  progress  in  the  North 
west.  Prince  Rupert  and  his  seventeen  capitalists  had 
developed  into  a  corporation  as  fiercely  opposed  to  civi 
lization  as  modern  monopolies  have  proven  themselves. 
The  Hudson's  Bay  Company  was  the  precursor  in  the 
New  World  of  the  oil  monopoly,  the  harbinger  of  the 
sugar  trust.  Like  them,  it  laid  its  heavy  hand  upon 
every  enterprise  that  might  benefit  the  race.  The  desert 


106  PICKET 'T  AND  HIS  MEN. 

• 

that  might  have  been  developed  into  a  flower-garden 
must  be  kept  in  its  barrenness  lest  the  bloom  of  the  roses 
should  attract  some  human  interest  beside  the  monstrous 
one  of  greed.  The  wilderness  that  might  have  given  way 
to  happy  homes  and  golden  fields  of  grain  must  be  kept 
in  its  pristine  stage  of  gloomy  silence  —  not  for  the  sake 
of  the  glory  of  its  stately  trees  and  the  solemn  grandeur 
of  its  mystic  twilight  aisles,  nor  for  the  melody  of  its 
birds  and  the  grace  and  beauty  of  its  wild-beast  life.  Not 
for  any  of  these  must  nature  forever  reign  queen  of  the 
North  Pacific  coast,  but  only  that  the  steel  trap  of  the 
hunter  might  never  lack  a  victim,  and  the  pockets  of 
Prince  Rupert's  worthy  descendants  never  go  empty. 

Since  the  bird  of  unwisdom  saved  the  queen  city  of  the 
world,  and  two  great  nations  fought  a  bloody  war  on  ac 
count  of  an  old  bucket,  subjects  usually  regarded  as  trivial 
have  been  known  to  play  important  parts  in  the  history 
of  nations.  The  story  of  San  Juan  was  enlivened  by  the 
festive  gambols  of  a  cheerful  pig  belonging  to  the  Hud 
son's  Bay  Company.  This  enterprising  animal  had  a 
habit  of  pursuing  his  useful  vocation  of  rooting,  in  a  gar 
den  pertaining  to  Mr.  Lyman  A.  Cutlar,  an  American 
occupant  of  the  island.  The  relations  of  Mr.  Cutlar  to 
the  invaded  premises  prevented  his  appreciating  to  their 
full  worth  the  frugal  virtues  which  in  other  circumstances 
might  have  won  high  respect.  He  remonstrated  with  the 
company  to  no  effect  and,  taking  the  matter  into  his  own 
hands,  the  unfortunate  pig  fell  a  victim,  like  many  another 
innocent  creature,  to  the  strained  political  relations  of  the 
two  rival  nations. 

Having  permanently  removed  the  pig  as  an  animated 
factor  ofj.dissension,  Mr.  Cutlar  offered  to  pay  twice  the 
value  of  it  by  way  of  establishing  amicable  relations  with 
its  former  owners.  Pork  had  experienced  a  sudden  rise 


SAN  JUAN.  ID/ 

in  the  British  market,  and  the  worth  of  this  particular 
sample  had  risen  into  the  realm  of  international  ethics 
and  was  not  to  be  computed  in  terms  of  filthy  lucre. 
The  next  day  the  British  steamer  Beaver  brought  an 
officer  ashore  to  arrest  Cutlar  and  take  him  to  Victoria 
for  trial.  Pointing  his  rifle  at  the  officer,  Cutlar  replied 
that  they  might  take  him  to  Victoria,  but  they  would  have 
to  kill  him  first.  The  officer,  not  feeling  quite  safe  in 
precipitating  a  crisis  just  then,  withdrew,  and  the  porcine 
incident  was  diplomatically  regarded  as  closed. 

When  the  northern  part  of  Oregon  was  separated  into 
a  new  Territory  called  Washington,  the  islands  of  the 
Archipelago  were  included  in  Whatcom  County.  In  1855 
the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  refused  to  pay  the  taxes  as 
sessed  upon  its  property,  and  that  property  was  adver 
tised  and  sold  to  meet  the  demand.  In  the  correspond 
ence  which  ensued  between  the  governors  of  Vancouver's 
Island  and  Washington  Territory,  the  governor  of  Van 
couver's  asserted  his  instructions  to  regard  the  islands  as 
a  part  of  the  British  dominion.  Crampton  laid  this  corre 
spondence  before  the  State  Department  with  a  renc  vval  of 
his  proposition  for  a  joint  commission  to  determine  the 
boundary-line,  suggesting  "the  expediency  of  the  adoption 
by  both  governments  of  the  channel  marked  as  the  only 
known  navigable  channel  by  Vancouver  as  that  desig 
nated  in  the  treaty."  This  meant  to  run  the  line  through 
Vancouver's  Strait  and  give  up  to  Great  Britain  the  Haro 
Archipelago. 

On  the  nth  of  August,  1856,  an  act  was  passed  au 
thorizing  a  commission  to  unite  with  similar  officers  ap 
pointed  by  the  British  government,  each  commissioner 
being  instructed  as  to  the  duties  he  was  t<*  perform. 
Archibald  Campbell  was  appointed  commissioner  on  the 
part  of  the  United  States,  with  John  G.  Parke,  chief  as- 


108  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

• 
tronomer  and  surveyor;  and  Captain  James  G.  Prevost, 

first  commissioner  for  the  British  government,  and  Cap 
tain  Richards,  chief  astronomer  and  surveyor  of  the 
British  commission,  as  second  commissioner. 

On  the  27th  of  June,  1857,  the  first  official  meeting  of 
the  joint  commission  was  held.  The  British  commander 
stated  that  he  could  do  nothing  until  the  arrival  of  Cap 
tain  Richards.  Having  waited  until  the  close  of  Octo 
ber,  Captain  Prevost  decided  to  accept  the  coast-survey 
charts  as  accurate,  and  consented  to  adopt  them  for  the 
determination  of  the  boundary.  On  the  26th  of  October 
the  commission  met  at  Esquimalt  Harbor,  Vancouver's 
Island,  with  the  understanding  that  they  were  invested 
with  full  powers.  The  discussion  of  the  boundary  ques 
tion  was  had  with  this  understanding  on  the  part  of  the 
United  States  commissioner. 

As  was  to  be  expected,  the  commissioners  failed  to 
agree  on  the  subject  of  a  satisfactory  boundary,  it  being 
somewhat  difficult  to  interpret  satisfactorily  a  treaty  with 
some  one  who  has  in  advance  made  up  his  mind,  and 
openly  declared  his  intention,  as  had  the  British  com 
missioners,  to  accept  only  that  interpretation  which  will 
award  to  him  the  subject-matter  of  contention.  A  decision 
which  shall  in  no  way  rffect  the  claim  of  one  of  the  parties 
to  the  dispute  is  scarcely  worth  the  trouble  of  making. 

The  United  States  claimed  the  Canal  de  Haro  as  the 
boundary,  because  it  was  the  main  channel  south  of  the 
forty-ninth  parallel  leading  into  the  Strait  of  Fuca,  and 
it  would  secure  the  sole  object  for  which  the  line  was 
deflected  south  from  the  forty-ninth  parallel,  that  is,  to 
give  the  whole  of  Vancouver's  Island  to  Great  Britain. 

The  British  commissioner  claimed  Rosario  Strait  as 
the  boundary,  on  the  ground  that  it  coincided  with  what 
he  called  "the  very  peculiar  wording"  of  the  treaty.  He 


SAN  JUAN.  IO9 

assumed  that  the  Rosario  Strait  answered  to  the  require 
ment  of  the  language,  "separates  the  continent  from  Van 
couver's  Island,"  whereas  Canal  de  Haro  merely  "sepa 
rates  Vancouver's  Island  from  the  continent,"  an  illustra 
tion  of  the  importance  of  linguistic  purism  in  the  science 
of  diplomacy.  As  his  nation  had  drawn  up  the  treaty, 
and  was  therefore  responsible  for  the  peculiar  wording, 
it  was  scarcely  becoming  in  him  to  set  forth  that  claim, 
in  violation  of  the  law  of  nations  which  provides  that  a 
difficulty  of  construction  shall  not  be  decided  in  favor  of 
the  nation  creating  the  obscurity. 

Being  unable  to  support  his  claim,  he  offered  as  a 
substitute  a  smaller  channel  which  would  include  San 
Juan  in  the  British  possessions.  The  United  States  com 
missioner  refused  to  accept  this  compromise.  The  British 
commissioner  had  received  rigid  instructions,  and  had  no 
power  to  accept  any  line  that  would  not  give  San  Juan  to 
Great  Britain.  He  said,  "beyond  what  I  now  offer  I 
can  no  further  go." 

It  was  only  reasonable  to  suppose  that  the  nearest 
natural  boundary  which  would  avoid  the  necessity  of 
cutting  Vancouver's  Island  would  be  the  one  sought. 
This  boundary  was  the  Canal  de  Haro.  In  the  communi 
cation  by  Mr.  McLane,  who  had  been  sent  specially  to 
Great  Britain  to  aid  in  the  negotiations,  to  Mr.  Buchanan, 
then  Secretary  of  State,  he  specifically  mentions  the  ex 
tension  of  the  line  by  the  Canal  de  Haro  and  the  Strait 
of  Fuca  to  the  ocean,  no  reference  being  made  to  Rosario. 
He  states  that  this  proposition  now  made  by  Lord  Aber 
deen  was  suggested  by  his  (Mr.  McLane's)  immediate 
predecessor  as  one  which  his  government  might  accept. 
Again  he  refers  to  the  modified  extension  of  the  line  as 
being  adapted  to  avoid  the  southern  cape  of  Vancouver's 
Island. 


I IO  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

Mr.  Benton,  in  a  speech  in  the  Senate  fn  favor  of 
the  treaty,  mentioned  the  slight  deflection  of  the  line 
with  the  object  of  avoiding  the  cutting  of  the  south 
end  of  Vancouver's  Island.  Again  he  spoke  of  the  line 
through  the  Channel  de  Haro,  and  stated  that  it  pre 
served  for  the  United  States  that  cluster  of  islands  be 
tween  the  Channel  de  Haro  and  the  continent.  Even  Mr. 
Crampton,  the  British  minister,  did  not  claim  that  Rosario 
was  the  channel  meant,  but  thought  that  it  must  refer  to 
Vancouver's  Channel,  erroneously  supposing  it  to  be  the 
only  one  answering  the  description  which  had  up  to  that 
time  been  surveyed  and  used. 

It  is  a  noticeable  fact  that  the  Strait  of  Rosario  did 
not  appear  upon  any  map,  south  of  the  forty-ninth  paral 
lel,  until  it  was  needed  by  the  British  government  to  cut 
off  a  piece  of  somebody  else  s  land,  when  it  was  hastily 
moved  southward  and  dated  back  to  a  period  antedating 
the  treaty. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

SAN  JUAN  CONTINUED. 

In  1853  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  sent  an  agent  with 
a  flock  of  sheep  to  take  possession  of  San  Juan  Island,  a 
very  peaceable  purpose  to  which  to  devote  a  territory  sur 
rounded  by  such  warlike  associations.  As  it  turned  out, 
however,  not  even  the  pastoral  symphony  of  bleating 
lambs  could  infuse  harmony  into  the  situation. 

On  the  night  of  the  26th  of  July,  in  1859,  General 
Harney,  commander  of  the  Department  of  Oregon, 
stationed  troops  on  the  island.  Captain  Pickett  and  a 
co'mmand  of  sixty-eight  men  were  silently  transferred 
from  the  mainland  and  when  the  morning  came  were 
in  possession  of  the  disputed  territory.  As  the  bold 
Britons,  one  thousand  nine  hundred  and  forty  strong, 
looked  from  their  five  ships  of  war  coastward  through  the 
dawn  and  beheld  this  slight  force,  comfortable  in  the  re 
flection  that  they  had  a  cannon  for  every  interloper  there 
except  two,  they  must  have  experienced  something  of 
the  prospective  triumph  which  swelled  the  heart  of  the 
giant  in  sacred  story  as  he  hastened  to  meet  the  shepherd 
youth  armed  with  but  a  helpless-looking  sling  and  stone. 
Later  in  the  game  they  had  yet  more  reason  to  remember 
the  experience  of  that  famous  champion,  and  draw  dis 
couraging  parallels. 

To  a  proposition  from  the  English  commander  for  a 
joint  military  occupation  of  San  Juan,  Captain  Pickett 
replied: 

"As  a  matter  of  course,  I,  being  here  under  orders  from 


112  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

my  government,  can  not  allow  any  joint  occupation  until 
so  ordered  by  my  commanding  general." 

The  English  captain  said,  "I  have  one  thousand  men 
on  board  the  ships  ready  to  land  to-night." 

"  Captain,  you  have  the  force  to  land,  but  if  you  under 
take  it  I  will  fight  you  as  long  as  I  have  a  man." 

"Very  well,"  answered  Hornby,  "I  shall  land  them  at 
once." 

"If  you  will  give  me  forty-eight  hours,"  said  Captain 
Pickett,  "till  I  hear  from  my  commanding  officer,  my 
orders  may  be  countermanded.  If  you  don't,  you  must 
be  responsible  for  the  bloodshed  that  will  follow." 

"Not  one  minute,"  was  the  English  captain's  reply. 

Captain  Pickett  gave  orders  for  the  drawing  up  of  his 
men  in  lines  on  the  hill  facing  the  beach,  where  the  Eng 
lish  would  have  to  land. 

"We  will  make  a  Bunker  Hill  of  it,  and  don't  be  afraid 
of  their  big  guns,"  said  Pickett  to  his  men. 

The  following  is  an  extract  from  the  report  of  General 
Harney  to  General  Scott: 

The  senior  officer  of  three  British  ships  of  war  threatened  to  land 
an  overpowering  force  upon  Captain  Pickett,  who  nobly  replied  that 
whether  they  landed  fifty  or  five  thousand  men  his  conduct  would  not 
be  affected  by  it;  that  he  would  open  his  fire,  and,  if  compelled,  take  to 
the  woods  fighting;  and  so  satisfied  were  the  British  officers  that  such 
would  be  his  course,  that  they  hesitated  in  putting  their  threat  into 
execution. 

The  following  letter  from  General  Harney  to  Captain 
Pickett  defines  at  length  his  purpose  in  transferring  troops 
to  San  Juan: 

HEADQUARTERS  DEPARTMENT  OF  OREGON, 

FORT  VANCOUVER,  W.  T.,  July  18,  1859. 

CAPTAIN:  By  Special  Orders  No.  72,  a  copy  of  which  is  inclosed, 
you  are  directed  to  establish  your  company  on  Bellevue  or  San  Juan 
Island,  in  some  suitable  position  near  the  harbor  at  the  southeastern 


SAN  JUAN  CONTINUED.  113 

extremity.     The  general  commanding  instructs  me  to  say  the  object  to 
be  attained  in  placing  you  thus  is  twofold,  viz. : 

First.  To  protect  the  inhabitants  of  the  island  from  the  incursions 
of  the  northern  Indians  of  British  Columbia  and  the  Russian  posses 
sions.  You  will  not  permit  any  force  of  these  Indians  to  visit  San  Juan 
Island  or  the  waters  of  Puget  Sound  in  that  vicinity  over  which  the 
United  States  have  any  jurisdiction.  Should  these  Indians  appear 
peaceable  you  will  warn  them  in  a  quiet  but  firm  manner  to  return  to 
their  own  country  and  not  visit  in  future  the  territory  of  the  United 
States;  and  in  the  event  of  any  opposition  being  offered  to  your  demands, 
you  will  use  the  most  decisive  measures  to  enforce  them,  to  which  end 
the  commander  of  the  troops  stationed  on  the  steamer  Massachusetts  will 
be  instructed  to  render  every  assistance  and  co-operation  that  will  be 
necessary  to  enable  your  command  to  fulfill  the  tenor  of  these  in 
structions. 

Second.  Another  serious  and  important  duty  will  devolve  upon  you 
in  the  occupation  of  San  Juan  Island,  arising  from  the  American  citizens 
and  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  establishment  at  that  point.  This  duty 
is  to  afford  adequate  protection  to  the  American  citizens  in  their  rights 
as  such,  and  to  resist  all  attempts  at  interference  by  the  British  authori 
ties  residing  on  Vancouver's  Island,  by  intimidation  or  force,  in  the  con 
troversies  of  the  above-mentioned  parties. 

This  protection  has  been  called  for  in  consequence  of  the  chief  fac 
tor  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  Mr.  Dallas,  having  recently  visited 
San  Juan  Island  with  a  British  sloop  of  war,  and  threatened  to  take  an 
American  citizen  by  force  to  Victoria  for  trial  by  British  laws.  It  is 
hoped  a  second  attempt  of  this  kind  will  not  be  made,  but  to  ensure  the 
safety  of  our  citizens  the  general  commanding  directs  you  to  meet  the 
authorities  from  Victoria  at  once,  on  a  second  arrival,  and  inform  them 
they  can  not  be  permitted  to  interfere  with  our  citizens  in  any  way. 
Any  grievances  they  may  allege  as  requiring  redress  can  only  be  exam 
ined  under  our  own  laws,  to  which  they  must  submit  their  claims  in 
proper  form. 

The  steamer  Massachusetts  will  be  directed  to  transport  your  com 
mand,  stores,  etc.,  to  San  Juan  Island,  where  you  are  authorized  to 
construct  such  temporary  shelter  as  the  necessities  of  the  service  may 
demand. 

Any  materials,  such  as  doors,  window-sash,  flooring,  etc.,  that  can 
be  rendered  available  will  be  taken  with  you  from  Fort  Bellingham.  To 
secure  to  your  command  the  vegetables  of  your  garden,  a  small  detach 
ment  will  be  left  to  gather  them  when  grown. 


114  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

% 

The  general  commanding  is  fully  satisfied,  from  the  varied  experi 
ence  and  judgment  displayed  by  you  in  your  present  command,  that 
your  selection  to  the  duties  with  which  you  are  now  charged  will  ad 
vance  the  interests  of  the  service,  and  that  your  disposition  of  the  sub 
jects  coming  within  your  supervision  and  action  will  enhance  your  repu 
tation  as  a  commander. 

In  your  selection  of  a  position,  take  into  consideration  that  future 
contingencies  may  require  an  establishment  of  from  four  to  six  compa 
nies  retaining  the  command  of  the  San  Juan  harbor. 

I  am,  Captain,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

A.  PLEASANTON, 

Captain  Second  Dragoons,  Acting  Assistant  Adjutant-General. 
CAPTAIN  GEORGE  PICKETT, 

Commanding  Company  D,  Ninth  Infantry, 

Fort  Bellingham,  Puget  Sound. 

The  following  correspondence  between  Captain  Pick- 
ett  and  the  military  officers  and  the  agent  of  the  Hud 
son's  Bay  Company  will  sufficiently  indicate  the  existing 
situation  upon  the  island: 

MILITARY  CAMP, 
SAN  JUAN  ISLAND,  W.  T.,  July  30,  1859. 

MY  DEAR  COLONEL:  I  have  the  honor  to  inclose  you  some  notes 
which  passed  this  morning  between  the  Hudson's  Bay  authorities 
and  myself.  From  the  threatening  attitude  of  affairs  at  present,  I 
deem  it  my  duty  to  request  that  the  Massachusetts  may  be  sent  at 
once  to  this  point.  I  do  not  know  that  any  actual  collision  will 
take  place,  but  it  is  not  comfortable  to  be  lying  within  range  of  a 
couple  of  war-steamers.  The  Tribune,  a  thirty-gun  frigate,  is  lying 
broadside  to  our  camp,  and  from  present  indications  everything  leads 
me  to  suppose  that  they  will  attempt  to  prevent  my  carrying  out  my 
instructions. 

If  you  have  any  boats  to  spare  I  shall  be  happy  to  get  one  at  least. 
The  only  whale-boat  we  had  was,  most  unfortunately,  staved  on  the  day 
of  our  departure. 

We  will  be  very  much  in  want  of  some  tools  and  camp  equipage.  I 
have  not  the  time,  Colonel,  to  make  out  the  proper  requisition,  but  if 


SAN  JUAN  CONTINUED.  1 1 5 

your  quartermaster  can  send  us  some  of  these  articles  they  will  be  of 
great  service. 

I  am,  sir,  in  haste,  very  truly,  your  obedient  servant, 

G.  E.  PICKETT, 
LIEUTENANT-COLONEL  S.  CASEY,  Captain  Ninth  Infantry. 

Ninth  Infantry,  Commanding  Fort  Steilacoom,  W.  T. 
P.  S. — The  Sbubrick  has  rendered  us  every  assistance  in  her  power, 
and  I  am  much  indebted  for  the  kindness  of  officers. 

BELLEVUE  FARM,  SAN  JUAN,  July  30,  1859. 

SIR:  I  have  the  honor  to  inform  you  that  the  Island  of  San  Juan, 
on  which  your  camp  is  pitched,  is  the  property  and  in  the  occupation  of 
the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  and  to  request  that  you  and  the  whole  of 
the  party  vs  iO  have  landed  from  the  American  vessels  will  immediately 
cease  to  occupy  the  same.  Should  you  be  unwilling  to  comply  with  my 
request,  I  feel  bound  to  apply  to  the  civil  authorities. 

Awaiting  your  reply  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  sir,  your  obedient  servant, 

CHAS.  JNO.  GRIFFIN, 

CAPTAIN  PICKETT,  Agent  Hudson's  Bay  Company. 

Commanding  Company  D,  Ninth  Infantry, 
Island  of  San  Juan. 

MILITARY  CAMP, 
SAN  JUAN,  W.  T.,  July  30,  1859. 

SIR:  Your  communication  of  this  instant  has  been  received.  I  have 
to  state  in  reply  that  I  do  not  acknowledge  the  right  of  the  Hudson's 
Bay  Company  *o  dictate  my  course  of  action.  I  am  here  by  virtue  of 
an  order  from  my  government,  and  shall  remain  till  recalled  by  the  same 
authority. 

I  am,  sir,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

GEORGE  E.  PICKETT, 

Captain  Ninth  United  States  Infantry,  Commanding. 
MR.  CHARLES  J.  GRIFFIN, 

Agent  Hudson's  Bay  Company, 

San  Juan  Island,  W.  T. 

MILITARY  POST, 

SAN  JUAN,  W.  T.,  August  3,  10  P.M. 

CAPTAIN:  I  have  the  honor  to  report  the  following  circumstances: 
The  British  ships  the  Tribune,  the  Plumper,  the  Satellite  are  lying  here 


Il6  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

O 

in  a  menacing  attitude.  I  have  been  warned  ojf  by  the  Hudson's  Bay 
agent;  then  a  summons  was  sent  to  me  to  appear  before  a  Mr.  DeCour- 
cey,  an  official  of  her  Britannic  Majesty.  To-day  I  received  the  in 
closed  communications,  and  I  also  inclose  my  answer  to  same. 

I  had  to  deal  with  three  captains,  and  I  thought  it  better  to  take  the 
brunt  of  it.  They  have  a  force  so  much  superior  to  mine  that  it  will  be 
merely  a  mouthful  for  them;  still  I  have  informed  them  that  I  am  here 
by  order  of  my  commanding  general,  and  will  maintain  my  position  if 
possible. 

They  wish  to  have  a  conjoint  occupation  of  the  island;  I  decline 
anything  of  that  kind.  They  can,  if  they  choose,  land  at  almost  any 
point  on  the  island,  and  I  can  not  prevent  them.  I  have  used  the  utmost 
courtesy  and  delicacy  in  my  intercourse  and,  if  it  is  possible,  please  in 
form  me  at  such  an  early  hour  as  t  prevent  a  collision.  The  utmost  I 
could  expect  to-day  was  to  suspend  any  proceeding  till  they  have  time  to 
digest  a  pill  which  I  gave  them.  They  wish  to  throw  the  onus  on  me, 
because  T  refuse  to  allow  them  to  land  an  equal  force,  and  each  of  us 
to  have  military  occupation,  thereby  wiping  out  both  civil  authorities. 

I  say  I  can  not  do  so  until  I  hear  from  the  general. 

I  have  endeavored  to  impress  them  with  the  idea  that  my  authority 
comes  directly  through  you  from  Washington. 

The  Pleiades  left  this  morning  for  San  Francisco  with  Colonel 
Hawkins. 

The  excitement  in  Victoria  and  here  is  tremendous.  I  suppose 
some  five  hundred  people  have  visited  us.  I  have  had  to  use  a  great 
deal  of  my  peace-making  disposition  in  order  to  restrain  some  of  the 
sovereigns. 

Please  excuse  this  hasty  and,  I  am  afraid,  almost  unintelligible  letter, 
but  the  steamer  is  waiting,  and  I  have  been  writing  under  the  most  un 
favorable  circumstances.  I  must  add  that  they  seem  to  doubt  the  au 
thority  of  the  general  commanding,  and  do  not  wish  to  acknowledge  his 
right  to  occupy  this  island,  which  they  say  is  in  dispute,  unless  the 
United  States  government  has  decided  the  question  with  Great  Britain. 
I  have  so  far  staved  them  off  by  saying  that  the  two  governments  have 
undoubtedly  settled  this  affair,  but  this  state  of  affairs  can  not  last, 
and  therefore  I  most  respectfully  ask  that  an  express  be  sent  me  immedi 
ately  for  my  future  guidance.  I  do  not  think  there  are  any  moments  to 
waste.  In  order  to  maintain  our  dignity  we  must  occupy  in  force,  or  al 
low  them  to  land  an  equal  force,  which  they  can  do  now,  and  possibly 
will  do  in  spite  of  my  diplomacy. 

I  have  the  honor  to  inclose  all  the  correspondence  which  has  taken 


SAN  JUAN  CONTINUED,  1 1 7 

place.  Hoping  that  my  course  of  action  will  meet  with  the  approval  of 
the  general  commanding,  and  that  I  may  hear  from  him  in  regard  to  my 
future  course  at  once,  I  remain,  Captain,  your  obedient  servant, 

G.  E.  PICKETT, 
Captain  Ninth  Infantry,  Commanding  Post. 

CAPTAIN  A.  PLEASANTON, 

Mounted  Dragoons,  Adjutant-General, 

Department  of  Oregon,  Fort  Vancouver,  W.  T. 


HER  MAJESTY'S  SHIP  TRIBUNE, 

GRIFFIN  BAY,  ISLAND  OF  SAN  JUAN,  August  3,  1859. 
SIR:  Having  received  instructions  from  his  Excellency  Governor 
Douglas  to  communicate  with  you  in  reference  to  the  landing  of  the 
United  States  troops  under  your  command  on  the  island  of  San  Juan,  I 
have  the  honor  to  propose  a  meeting  should  take  place  between  yourself 
and  any  other  officers  of  the  United  States  military  forces  on  the  one 
part,  and  captains  of  her  Majesty's  ships  on  the  other  (on  board  her 
Majesty's  ship  Tribune),  at  any  hour  that  may  be  convenient  to  you, 
that  we  may,  if  possible,  conclude  such  arrangements  as  will  tend  to 
preserve  harmony  between  the  subjects  of  the  two  states  in  this  island. 
I  have  the  honor  to  be,  sir,  your  obedient  servant, 

GEOFFREY  PHIPPS  HORNBY, 

CAPTAIN  PICKETT,  Captain. 

Commanding  Detachment  United  States  Troops, 
Island  of  San  Juan. 


MILITARY  POST, 

SAN  JUAN,  W.  T.,  August  3,  1859. 

SIR:  Your  communication  of  this  instant,  favored  by  Lieutenant 
Dunlop,  has  been  received.  I  have  the  honor  to  say,  in  reply,  that  I 
shall  most  cheerfully  meet  you,  in  my  camp,  at  whatever  hour  you 
may  choose  to  designate.  Be  assured  that  my  wish  corresponds  with 
yours  to  preserve  harmony  between  our  respective  governments. 
I  remain,  sir,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

GEORGE  E.  PICKETT, 

Captain  Ninth  United  States  Infantry,  Commanding. 
CAPTAIN  PHIPPS  HORNBY, 

Commanding  her  Britannic  Majesty's  ship  Tribune, 
Harbor  of  San  Juan,  W.  T. 


1 1 8  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

41 

HER  MAJESTY'S  SHIP  TRIBUNE, 

GRIFFIN  BAY,  ISLAND  OF  SAN  JUAN,  August  3,  1859. 
SIR:     In  reply  to  your  letter  of  this  morning,  I  have  to  inform  you 
that  I  shall  do  rayse!"  the  honor  of  calling  on  you  at  2  P.  M.,  in  company 
with  the  captains  of  her  Britannic  Majesty's  ships. 
I  have  the  honor  to  be,  sir,  your  obedient  servant, 

G.  PHIPPS  HORNBY, 

CAPTAIN  PICKETT,  Captain. 

Commanding  Detachment  of  United  States  Troops, 
Island  of  San  Juan. 

HER  MAJESTY'S  SHIP  TRIBUNE, 

SAN  JUAN  ISLAND,  August  3,  1859 

SIR:  In  accordance  with  your  request  for  a  written  communication, 
I  have  the  honor  to  transmit  the  substance  of  the  declarations  and  propo 
sitions  made  by  me  to  you  to-day. 

Having  drawn  your  attention  to  the  extract  of  a  despatch  from  Mr. 
Marcy,  Secretary  of  State,  to  his  Excellency,  Governor  Stevens,  dated 
July  14,  1855,  prescribing  the  conduct  that  should  be  pursued  by  the 
officers  of  the  United  States  in  respect  of  the  disputed  grounds,  I  asked 
if  that  was  the  tenor  of  your  present  instructions,  or  if  the  relations  of 
the  two  states  had  been  placed  on  other  than  a  friendly  footing  by  any  of 
a  more  recent  date. 

To  this  you  replied  by  referring  to  the  date  of  the  despatch. 

I  then  asked  you,  in  the  name  of  Governor  Douglas,  the  terms  on 
which  you  had  occupied  the  island  of  San  Juan;  to  which  you  replied 
that  you  did  so  by  order  of  the  "general  commanding,"  to  protect  it 
as  a  part  of  the  United  States  territory,  and  that  you  believed  he  acted 
under  orders  from  the  government  at  Washington. 

I  then  presented  to  you  the  Governor's  protest  against  any  such  oc 
cupation  or  claim.  I  represented  to  you  that  the  fact  of  occupying  a 
disputed  island  by  a  military  force  necessitated  a  similar  action  on  our 
part;  that  again  involved  the  imminent  risk  of  a  collision  between  the 
forces,  there  being  a  magistrate  of  each  nation  now  acting  on  the  island, 
either  of  whom  might  call  on  those  of  their  country  for  aid. 

To  prevent  the  chance  of  such  collision,  I  suggested  that  a  joint  mili 
tary  occupation  might  take  place,  and  continue  until  replies  could  be  re 
ceived  from  our  respective  governments;  and,  during  such  times,  that  the 
commanding  officers  of  the  forces  should  control  and  adjudicate  between 
their  respective  countrymen,  the  magistrates  being  withdrawn  on  both 


SAN"  JUAN  CONTINUED.  1 19 

oides,  or  the  action  of  their  courts  suspended  for  the  time  being,  theii 
employment  not  being  necessary  under  a  joint  military  occupation. 

I  suggested  this  course  as  apparently  the  only  one  left  (short  of  en 
tire  evacuation  by  the  troops  under  your  command)  likely  to  produce  the 
object  so  much  to  be  desired,  viz.,  the  prevention  of  a  collision  between 
the  forces  or  authorities  of  the  two  countries,  landed  or  in  the  harbor 
of  San  Juan,  an  event  which  must  lead  to  still  more  disastrous  results, 
by  permanently  estranging  the  friendly  relations  subsisting  between 
Great  Britain  and  the  United  States  of  America. 

You  replied  that  you  had  not  authority  to  conclude  such  terms,  but 
suggested  the  reference  of  them  to  General  Harney  and  Governor 
Douglas,  without  interference  in  any  way  with  our  liberty  of  action. 

I  pointed  out  that  my  proposition  was  strictly  in  accordance  with 
the  principles  laid  down  in  Mr.  Marcy's  despatch,  and  that  yours,  on 
the  other  hand,  offered  no  security  against  the  occurrence  of  some  im 
mediate  evil. 

That,  as  officers  of  the  United  States  had  committed  an  act  of  ag 
gression  by  landing  an  armed  force  on  this  island  pending  the  settle 
ment  of  our  respective  claims  to  its  sovereignty,  without  warning  to  us, 
and  without  giving  to  you  a  discretionary  power  of  making  any  neces 
sary  arrangements,  the  United  States  and  its  officers  alone  must  be 
responsible  for  any  consequences  that  might  result,  either  immediate  or 
future. 

I  agreed  to  your  request  to  furnish  you  with  the  substance  of  the 
conversation  in  writing,  and  concluded  by  informing  you  that,  having 
now  made  what  seemed  to  me  a  most  equitable  and  simple  proposition, 
I  reserved  to  myself,  in  the  event  of  your  non-acceptance  of  it,  entire 
liberty  of  action  either  for  the  protection  of  British  subjects  and  prop 
erty,  or  of  our  claims  to  the  sovereignty  of  the  island,  until  they  are  set 
tled  by  the  Northwestern  Boundary  Commission,  now  existing,  or  by 
the  respective  governments. 

I  believe  I  have  now  given  you  the  substance  of  our  conversation, 
and  have  only  to  add  my  regret  that  you  were  not  able  to  agree  to  a 
course  which  it  appears  to  me  would  totally  avoid  the  risk  of  a  col 
lision. 

The  responsibility  of  any  such  catastrophe  does  not,  I  feel,  rest  on 
me  or  on  her  Majesty's  representative  at  Vancouver's  Island. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  sir,  your  most  obedient,  humble  servant, 

GEOFFREY  PHIPPS  HORNBY, 
CAPTAIN  GEORGE  PICKETT,  Captain  and  Senior  Officer. 

Commanding  Detachment  of  United  States  Ninth  Regiment. 


120  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

MILITARY  POST, 
ISLAND  OF  SAN  JUAN,  W.  T.,  August  3,  n  P.M. 

SIR:  I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  communi 
cation  of  this  date,  in  reference  to  the  conversation  which  was  held  to 
day  between  ourselves  and  Captains  Prevost  and  Richards.  Your  recol 
lection  of  said  conversation  seems  to  be  very  accurate.  There  is  one 
point,  however,  which  I  dwelt  upon  particularly,  and  which  I  must  en 
deavor,  as  the  officer  representing  my  government,  to  impress  upon  you, 
viz. :  That,  as  a  matter  of  course,  I,  being  here  under  orders  from  my 
government,  can  not  allow  any  joint  occupation  until  so  ordered  by  my 
commanding  general;  and  that  any  attempt  to  make  any  such  occupation 
as  you  have  proposed,  before  I  can  communicate  with  General  Harney, 
will  be  bringing  on  a  collision  which  can  be  avoided  by  awaiting  this 
issue.  I  do  not  for  one  moment  imagine  that  there  will  any  difficulty 
occur  on  this  island  which  will  render  a  military  interference  necessary; 
and  I  therefore  deem  it  proper  to  state  that  I  think  no  discredit  can  re 
flect  upon  us,  or  our  respective  flags,  by  remaining  in  our  present  posi 
tions  until  we  have  an  opportunity  of  hearing  from  those  higher  in 
authority. 

I  hope,  most  sincerely,  sir,  you  will  reflect  on  this,  and  hope  you 
may  coincide  with  me  in  my  conclusion.  Should  you  see  fit  to  act 
otherwise,  you  will  then  be  the  person  who  will  bring  on  a  most  disas 
trous  difficulty,  and  not  the  United  States  officials. 

I  have  thus  hurriedly  answered  your  communication  in  order  to 
avoid  any  delay  and  its  consequences. 

I  remain,  with  much  respect,  your  obedient  servant, 

GEORGE  E.  PICKETT, 

Captain  Ninth  Infantry,  Commanding  Post. 
CAPTAIN  G.  PHIPPS  HORNBY, 

Commanding  her  Britannic  Majesty's  ship  Tribune, 
Harbor  of  San  Juan,  Washington  Territory. 


HEADQUARTERS  DEPARTMENT  OF  OREGON, 

FORT  VANCOUVER,  W.  T.,  August  6,  1859. 

CAPTAIN:  The  general  commanding  instructs  me  to  inform  you  of 
the  receipt  of  Governor  Douglas's  protest  to  the  occupation  of  San  Juan 
Island,  and  directs  me  to  inclose  a  communication,  which  you  will  re 
quest  Captain  Hornby,  of  her  Majesty's  ship  Tribune,  to  transmit  to 
Governor  Douglas  with  all  convenient  despatch. 

The  general  approves  the  course  you  have  pursued,  and  further  di- 


SAN  JUAN  CONTINUED,  121 

reels  that  no  joint  occupation  or  any  civil  jurisdiction  will  be  permitted 
on  San  Juan  Island  by  the  British  authorities  under  any  circumstances. 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Casey  is  ordered  to  reinforce  you  with  his  com 
mand  as  soon  as  possible. 

Send  Lieutenant  Howard  to  Fort  Steilacoom  in  arrest. 
I  am,  Captain,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

A.  PLEASANTON, 

Captain  Second  Dragoons,  Acting  Assistant  Adjutant-General. 
CAPTAIN  GEORGE  PICKETT, 

Ninth  Infantry,  Commanding  on  San  Juan  Island, 
Pug-t  Sound,  W.  T. 


In  November  Captain  Pickett  was  ordered  to  Fort 
Bellingham,  where  he  remained  until  April  10,  when  he 
was  replaced  in  command  at  San  Juan,  of  which  order  he 
was  notified  in  the  following: 

HEADQUARTERS  DEPARTMENT  OF  OREGON, 

FORT  VANCOUVER,  W.  T.,  April  16,  1860. 

CAPTAIN:  You  will  perceive  by  Special  Orders  No.  41,  of  this  date, 
a  copy  of  which  is  inclosed,  that  the  general  commanding  has  replaced 
you  in  command  of  your  company  on  San  Juan  Island. 

For  your  information  in  this  position  you  will  receive,  as  accom 
panying  papers,  the  correspondence  and  instructions  of  Lieutenant- 
General  Scott  with  reference  to  San  Juan  Island,  with  an  extract 
from  the  orders  of  Rear-Admiral  Baynes,  commanding  her  Britannic 
Majesty's  naval  forces  in  the  Pacific,  to  Captain  George  Bazalgette, 
of  the  Royal  Marines,  commanding  a  detachment  of  Royal  Marines 
landed  on  San  Juan  Island  by  the  consent  of  General  Scott.  These 
orders  of  Admiral  Baynes  communicr.te  to  his  officer  that  he  is  placed 
on  the  island  for  the  protection  of  British  interests,  and  to  form  a  joint 
military  occupation  with  the  troops  of  the  United  States. 

To  meet  these  orders  of  the  admiral,  and  to  remove  any  miscon 
ception  on  the  part  of  the  British  authorities  as  to  your  duties,  I  am 
directed  to  impart  to  you  the  following  explanations  and  requirements 
of  the  general  commanding,  a  copy  of  which  you  will  furnish  Captain 
Bazalgette  for  the  information  of  Rear-Admiral  Baynes: 

First.  Lieutenant-General  Scott  has  left  no  orders  or  instructions 
with  the  general  commanding  to  grant  a  joint  military  occupation  of 


122  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

San  Juan  Island  with  British  troops;  neither  has  any  authority  been 
delegated  by  the  government  of  the  United  States  to  the  general  to  offer 
or  accept  such  occupation  of  that  island.  The  offer  made  by  General 
Scott,  when  in  command  here,  was  not  accepted  by  Governor  Douglas 
at  the  time,  and  consequently  concluded  that  transaction.  No  arrange 
ment  has  been  made  since  to  renew  it,  within  the  knowledge  of  the 
general  commanding. 

Second.  The  British  authorities  having  submitted  the  assurance  to 
General  Scott  that  no  attempt  would  be  made  by  them  to  dislodge  by 
force  the  United  States  troops  on  San  Juan  Island,  they  were  per 
mitted  to  land  troops  for  similar  purposes  to  which  your  command  was 
designed  in  the  original  orders  conveyed  to  you  in  July  last,  viz.,  the 
protection  of  our  citizens  from  Indians,  both  native  and  foreign.  In 
connection  with  this  service,  the  general  commanding  takes  occasion  to 
present  you  to  Admiral  Baynes  and  the  officers  with  whom  you  will  be 
brought  in  contact,  as  an  officer  possessing  his  highest  confidence,  and 
nothing  will  be  omitted  in  maintaining  a  frank  and  generous  intercourse 
in  all  matters  coming  within  your  powers  to  establish  a  practical  solu 
tion  of  the  present  misunderstanding,  which  shall  prove  honorable  and 
satisfactory  to  all  parties,  until  a  final  settlement  is  attained  by  the  gov 
ernments. 

Third.  Under  the  organic  act  of  the  Congress  of  the  United 
States  for  the  establishment  of  the  Territorial  government  of  Washing 
ton,  the  first  legislative  assembly  in  1854  passed  an  act  including  the 
island  of  San  Juan  as  a  part  of  Whatcom  County.  This  act  was  duly 
submitted  to  Congress,  and  has  not  been  disapproved;  it  is,  therefore, 
the  law  of  the  land.  You  will  be  obliged,  consequently,  to  acknowl 
edge  and  respect  the  civil  jurisdiction  of  Washington  Territory  in  the 
discharge  of  your  duties  on  San  Juan,  and  the  general  commanding 
is  satisfied  that  any  attempt  of  the  British  commander  to  ignore  this 
right  of  the  Territory  will  be  followed  by  deplorable  results,  out  of  his 
power  to  prevent  or  to  control.  The  general  commanding  will  inform 
the  Governor  of  Washington  Territory  that  you  are  directed  to  communi 
cate  with  the  civil  officer  on  the  island  in  the  investigation  of  all  cases 
requiring  his  attention.  In  the  event  of  any  British  interests  being  in 
volved,  you  will  notify  the  officer  placed  there  by  Admiral  Baynes  to 
enable  him  to  propose  some  arrangement  satisfactory  to  his  instructions, 
as  well  as  those  of  the  civil  officer.  Let  it  be  understood  in  case  of  dis 
agreement  of  these  parties  that  no  action  is  to  be  taken  until  the  case 
has  been  referred  to  Admiral  Baynes  and  the  Governor  of  Washington 
Territory,  respectively. 


SAN  JUAN  CONTINUED.  12$ 

These  suggestions  will  be  acceptable  to  the  conditions  which  govern 
the  Territorial  authorities  of  Washington,  while  satisfying  the  obliga 
tions  of  the  military  service  to  their  own  as  well  as  the  civil  laws  of  the 
country,  and  it  is  fair  to  presume  they  will  be  adopted  by  Admiral 
Baynes,  since  the  tenor  of  his  instructions  to  Captain  Bazalgette  is 
sufficiently  liberal  to  justify  this  conclusion. 

I  remain,  Captain,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

A.  PLEASANTON, 

Captain  Second  Dragoons,  Acting  Assistant  Adjutant-General. 
CAPTAIN  GEORGE  E.  PICKETT, 

Commanding  Company  D,  Ninth  Infantry, 

Fort  Bellingham,  Puget  Sound,  W.  T. 


CAMP  PICKETT,  SAN  JUAN,  April  30,  1860. 

SIR:  I  have  the  honor  to  inform  you  that,  in  obedience  to  orders 
received  from  the  Headquarters  of  Department  of  Oregon,  I  have  to-day 
relieved  Captain  Hunt,  and  assumed  command  of  this  post. 

In  accordance  with  orders  emanating  from  the  same  source,  I  here 
with  inclose  an  extract  from  my  letter  of  instructions. 

With  every  desire  that  the  cordial  understanding  existing  between 
you  and  Captain  Hunt  shall  continue  to  be  maintained  between  our 
selves,  I  am,  sir,  your  most  humble  servant, 

G.  E.  PICKETT, 

Captain  Ninth  Infantry,  Commanding  Post. 
CAPTAIN  G.  BAZALGETTE, 

Royal  Marines,  her  British  Majesty's  Troops. 

From  this  time  until  the  State  of  Virginia  was  forced 
into  the  ranks  of  secession,  carrying  her  noblest  sons 
with  her,  Captain  Pickett  remained  on  the  island  of  San 
Juan.  Then  he  resigned  his  commission,  and,  narrowly 
escaping  arrest,  hastened  South  to  cast  in  his  fortunes 
with  the  struggling  new  dream  nation. 

The  military  leaders  on  the  Pacific  coast  had  an  ul 
terior  purpose,  hidden  from  the  world  but  lying  close  to 
the  hearts  of  them  all,  of  far  greater  magnitude  than  the 
mere  saving  of  a  fragment  of  earth.  They  had  seen  the 
"  little  cloud,  no  bigger  than  a  man's  hand,"  drifting  along 


124  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

the  southern  horizon,  and  had  read  its  threatening  im 
port.  They  knew  that  within  it  were  hidden  the  thun 
ders  and  lightnings  of  war,  and  they  dreaded  the  moment 
when  the  storm  should  break  over  the  land.  To  avert 
this  disaster  they  were  ready  to  risk  their  lives  at  the 
mouths  of  British  guns. 

The  elements  of  discord  that  had  lain  at  the  heart  of 
all  our  national  history  since  the  adoption  of  the  Consti 
tution  and  the  division  of  parties  into  Federalists  and 
Republicans  had  at  last  reached  the  point  where  an 
outbreak  could  be  avoided  only  by  a  foreign  war  which 
would  unite  all  parts  of  the  country  into  one  grand  whole 
for  the  purpose  of  national  defense.  If  a  war  with  Eng 
land  could  be  precipitated  the  danger  of  civil  faction 
would  be  over.  All  hearts  would  respond  at  once  to  the 
call  of  the  nation  for  help.  The  first  British  gun  that 
should  launch  its  thunder  against  the  Pacific  coast  would 
echo  and  re-echo  across  a  continent  and  send  its  rever 
berations  to  the  remotest  limits,  North,  South,  East  and 
West.  The  spirit  of  patriotism  would  awaken  and  the 
star-spangled  banner  would  float  once  more  over  a  united 
nation.  The  little  waves  of  sectional  strife  that  looked  so 
stormy  now  would  sink  into  the  great  sea  of  patriotic  en 
thusiasm  that  would  roll  in  majestic  grandeur  from  the 
farthest  snow-line  of  Minnesota  to  the  sunny  orange- 
groves  of  Florida,  from  the  islands  that  bathe  themselves 
in  the  far-off  Atlantic  waves  to  the  Golden  Gate  that  opens 
the  way  to  the  pearl-caves  of  the  Pacific. 

To  this  end  Captain  Pickett,  who  had  won  his  commis 
sion  by  gallant  service  under  the  old  flag,  would  gladly 
have  given  his  life.  Like  many  others  who  afterward 
fought  as  bravely  against  the  national  government  as  they 
had  in  happier  times  fought  for  it,  he  loved  the  Union. 
Every  star  in  that  flag  which  he  had  so  often  borne  to 


SAN  JUAN  CONTINUED.  12$ 

victory  shone  upon  his  heart  with  the  radiance  of  love 
and  hope.  The  white  of  its  fluttering  folds  was  like  the 
purity  of  heaven  toward  which  his  soul  ever  aspired;  the 
red  was  as  the  wine  of  life  that  surged  through  his  veins. 
It  is  difficult  for  the  reader  to  appreciate  fully,  from 
this  account,  the  great  responsibility  resting  upon  Captain 
Pickett  in  his  position  on  San  Juan.  Upon  his  firmness 
and  courage  hung  the  honor  of  his  country;  upon  his 
coolness  and  discretion  depended  the  lives  of  untold 
thousands,  with  millions  of  treasure.  In  early  manhood 
he  measured  up  to  the  occasion  and  gave  true  prophecy 
of  what  he  would  afterward  accomplish. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

PICKETT'S  WEST  POINT  APPOINTMENT  AND  MILITARY 
SERVICE  IN  UNITED  STATES  ARMY. 

George  E.  Pickett  was  appointed  to  West  Point  through 
the  political  power  and  friendship  of  Mr.  Abraham  Lin 
coln,  by  Congressman  John  G.  Stuart,  of  the  Third  Illinois 
District.  Mr.  Lincoln  was  then  associated  in  the  practice 
of  law  with  Pickett's  uncle,  Mr.  Andrew  Johnston  (not 
Andy  Johnson),  who  was  later  of  the  firm  of  Johnston, 
Williams  &  Boulware,  of  Richmond,  Virginia,  and  was  one 
of  the  most  successful,  prominent  and  wealthy  lawyers  of 
that  city. 

Mr.  Johnston  was  a  great  scholar  and  was  highly 
esteemed  by  President  Lincoln,  who  desired  him  to  be 
come  Governor  of  Virginia  and  guide  her  in  her  return  to 
the  Union. 

Naturally,  the  great  lawyer  was  desirous  that  his 
nephew  should  follow  in  his  own  footsteps,  and  become  a 
power  in  the  legal  world,  but  a  military  bent  of  mind  was 
hereditary  in  the  Pickett  family,  and  manifest  destiny  was 
not  to  be  thwarted.  It  so  happened,  too,  that  just  at  this 
time  Pickett's  martial  ardor  was  stimulated  by  the  ap 
pointment  to  West  Point  of  his  cousins,  Heth,  Duke  and 
Morgan,  and  several  of  his  schoolfellows. 

Mr.  Lincoln  was  very  fond  of  George  Pickett,  and  when 
Pickett  confided  to  him  his  military  aspirations,  he  se 
cretly  determined  they  should  be  gratified,  and  went  at 
once  systematically  to  work  to  secure  his  appointment. 

From  Washington,  the  great  statesman  wrote  his  young 
friend  a  letter,  from  which  the  following  is  an  extract: 

126 


SERVICE  IN  UNITED  STATES  ARMY.  12; 

I  never  encourage  deceit,  and  falsehood,  especially  if  you  have  got  a 
bad  memory,  is  the  -worst  enemy  a  fellow  can  have.  The  fact  is  truth 
is  your  truest  friend,  no  matter  what  the  circumstances  are.  Notwith 
standing  this  copy-book  preamble,  my  boy,  I  am  inclined  to  suggest  a 
little  prudence  on  your  part.  You  see  I  have  a  congenital  aversion  to 
failure,  and  the  sudden  announcement  to  your  Uncle  Andrew  of  the  suc 
cess  of  your  "lamp-rubbing"  might  possibly  prevent  your  passing  the 
severe  physical  examination  to  which  you  will  be  subjected  in  order  to 
enter  the  Military  Academy.  You  see,  I  should  like  to  have  a  perfect 
soldier  credited  to  dear  old  Illinois  —  no  broken  bones,  scalp  wounds,  etc. 
So  I  think  perhaps  it  might  be  wise  to  hand  this  letter  from  me,  in  to 
your  good  uncle  through  his  room-window  after  he  has  had  a  comfort" 
able  dinner,  and  watch  its  effect  from  the  top  of  the  pigeon-house. 

In  one  of  the  letters  which  the  young  cadet  received 
from  Mr.  Lincoln  soon  after  entering  West  Point  is  the 
following  passage: 

I  have  just  told  the  folks  here  in  Springfield  on  this  mth  anniver 
sary  of  the  birth  of  him  whose  name,  mightiest  in  the  cause  of  civil  lib 
erty,  still  mightiest  in  the  cause  of  moral  reformation,  we  mention  in 
solemn  awe,  in  naked,  deathless  splendor,  that  the  one  victory  we  can 
ever  call  complete  will  be  that  one  which  proclaims  that  there  is  not 
one  slave  or  one  drunkard  on  the  face  of  God's  green  earth.  Recruit 
for  this  victory. 

At  the  close  of  the  letter  he  said: 

Now,  boy,  on  your  march,  don't  you  go  and  forget  the  old  maxim 
that  "one  drop  of  honey  catches  more  flies  than  a  half-gallon  of  gall." 
Load  your  musket  with  this  maxim,  and  smoke  it  in  your  pipe. 

Pickett  remembered,  for  there  was  not  a  drop  of  gall 
in  his  whole  life. 

Short  as  was  Mr.  Lincoln's  time  when  he  passed  through 
Richmond  after  its  surrender,  he  came  to  the  old  Pickett 
home  to  hunt  up  his  friend  and  former  partner,  the  Gen 
eral's  uncle.  He  asked  about  the  General  himself,  and 


128  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

• 
then  for  the  General's  wife.     I  had  seen  the  carriage  and 

the  guard  and  retinue,  but  did  not  know  who  the  visitors 
were.  In  those  suspicious  times  of  trouble  and  anxiety 
we  did  not  wait  for  formal  announcements,  and  we  were 
following  on  after  the  servant  who  went  to  answer  the 
bell.  When  I  heard  the  caller  ask  for  George  Pickett's 
wife,  I  came  forward  with  my  baby  in  my  arms. 

"  I  am  George  Pickett's  wife,"  I  said. 

"And  I  am  Abraham  Lincoln." 

"The  President?" 

"No;  Abraham  Lincoln,  George's  old  friend." 

Seeing  baby's  outstretched  arms,  Mr.  Lincoln  took 
him,  and  little  George  opened  wide  his  mouth  and  gave 
his  father's  friend  a  dewy  baby  kiss,  seeming  to  feel  with 
the  prescient  infant  instinct  the  tie  that  binds.  As  I  took 
my  baby  back  again,  Mr.  Lincoln  said  in  that  deep  and 
sympathetic  voice  which  was  one  of  his  greatest  powers 
over  the  hearts  of  men: 

"Tell  your  father,  the  rascal,  that  I  forgive  him  for  the 
sake  of  your  mother's  smile  and  your  bright  eyes." 

I  had  sometimes  wondered  at  the  General's  reverential 
way  of  speaking  of  President  Lincoln,  but  as  I  looked  up 
at  his  honest,  earnest  face,  and  felt  the  warm  clasp  of  his 
great,  strong  hand,  I  marveled  no  more  that  all  who  knew 
him  should  love  him.  When,  but  a  few  days  later,  the 
wires  flashed  over  the  world  the  tragic  message  which  en 
veloped  our  whole  nation  in  mourning,  General  Pickett 
said: 

"My  God!  My  God!  The  South  has  lost  her  best 
friend  and  protector,  the  surest,  safest  hand  to  guide  and 
steer  her  through  the  breakers  ahead.  Again  must  she 
feel  the  smart  of  fanaticism." 

The  following  is  the  official  statement  of  Pickett's 
military  services: 


SERVICE  IN  UNITED  STATES  ARMY.  129 

WAR  DEPARTMENT, 

ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S  OFFICE, 

WASHINGTON,  March  10,  1887. 

Statement  of  the  military  service  of  George  E.  Pickett,  late  of  the 
United  States  Army,  compiled  from  the  records  of  this  office: 

He  was  a  cadet  at  the  United  States  Military  Academy  from  July  i, 
1842,  to  July  i,  1846,  when  graduated  and  appointed  brevet  second 
lieutenant  Eighth  Infantry;  promoted  second  lieutenant  Second  Infantry 
March  3,  1847;  transferred  to  Seventh  Infantry  July  13,  1847,  and  to 
the  Eighth  Infantry  July  18,  1847;  first  lieutenant  June  28,  1849;  ap 
pointed  captain  Ninth  Infantry  March  3,  1855. 

Brevetted  first  lieutenant  August  20,  1847,  "for  gallant  and  meri 
torious  conduct  in  the  battles  of  Contreras,  and  Churubusco,  Mexico  "; 
and  captain  September  13,  1847,  "for  gallant  and  meritorious  conduct  at 
Chapultepec,  Mexico." 

He  joined  his  regiment  in  Mexico,  November,  1846,  and  served 
therewith  in  the  war  with  that  country  (being  engaged  in  the  siege  of 
Vera  Cruz,  March,  1847;  battle  of  Cerro  Gordo,  April  17  and  18,  1847; 
capture  of  San  Antonio,  August  20,  1847;  battle  of  Molino  del  Rey,  Sep 
tember  8,  1847;  storming  of  Chapultepec,  September  13,  1847;  and  as 
sault  and  capture  of  the  City  of  Mexico,  September  13  and  14,  1847)  to 
July,  1848.  En  route  to  and  at  Jefferson  Barracks,  Mo.,  to  November 
23,  1848;  on  leave  to  June  19,  1849;  with  regiment  in  Texas  to  Decem 
ber  22,  1850;  on  leave  to  July  10,  1851;  with  regiment  in  Texas  to  De 
cember  13,  1851;  on  leave  to  May  4,  1852;  and  with  his  regiment  in 
Texas  to  June,  1855.  He  joined  the  Ninth  Infantry  September  20, 
1855,  and  served  with  it  at  Fort  Monroe,  Va.,  to  November  14,  1855; 
on  court-martial  duty  in  Florida  to  March  20,  1856;  rejoined  and  served 
with  his  company  in  Washington  Territory  to  June  6,  1858;  on  leave  to 
January  14,  1859;  commanding  company  at  Fort  Bellingham,  W.  T.,  to 
July  27,  1859;  at  San  Juan  Island,  W.  T.,  to  October,  1859;  at  Fort 
Bellingham  to  April  28,  1860;  and  at  San  Juan  Island  to  June  25,  1861, 
when  he  resigned.  Q  D  QREENE> 

Assistant  Adjutant-General. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

SLAVERY. 

The  commercial  greed  of  England  anchored  the  negro 
race  upon  America  against  the  earnest  protests  of  the 
colonists. 

In  1620,  when  a  Dutch  vessel  landed  twenty  slaves  at 
Jamestown,  the  enlightened  sense  of  Virginia  quickly 
took  alarm,  and  laws  against  the  wicked  traffic  were 
promptly  passed.  For  more  than  a  century  Virginia 
fought  most  valiantly  against  the  wrong  which  she  fore 
saw  would  work  irreparable  injury,  not  only  to  the  South, 
but  to  the  whole  country. 

In  1770  the  King  commanded  the  Governor  "under 
pain  of  highest  displeasure  to  assent  to  no  law  by  which 
the  importation  of  slaves  should  be  in  any  respect  prohib 
ited  or  obstructed."  Two  years  later,  after  a  prolonged 
and  earnest  debate,  the  Assembly  of  Virginia  submitted 
to  the  King  a  memorial  setting  forth  the  inhumanity  of 
the  trade,  and  its  exceeding  great  danger  to  the  existence 
of  his  American  dominions,  and  praying  that  the  interests 
of  the  British  dealers  who  would  be  financially  benefited 
by  the  criminal  traffic  might  not  be  permitted  to  take 
precedence  of  the  welfare  of  the  entire  colonies.  As 
England  has  never  been  known  to  hold  any  colony  with 
the  smallest  reference  to  the  benefit  of  its  inhabitants, 
the  petition  was  of  course  unavailing.  Thus  was  forced 
upon  Virginia  a  gigantic  evil  which  she  bravely  supported 
for  generations,  and  the  wrongs  of  which  she  did  all  in 
her  power  to  ameliorate. 

130 


SLAVERY.  131 

In  the  winter  of  1735-36  Oglethorpe  returned  to 
Georgia  from  England,  carrying  two  acts  of  Parliament, 
which,  in  the  absence  of  testimony  to  the  contrary,  indi 
cate  that  their  bearer  must  have  been  the  champion  opti 
mist  of  his  generation.  One  of  these  Parliamentary 
decrees  prohibited  the  sale  of  spirituous  liquors,  the 
other  forbade  the  holding  of  slaves.  The  principal  result 
of  this  moral  effort  was  a  frame  of  mind  in  the  com 
munity  succinctly  set  forth  in  the  following  dedication 
of  a  remonstrative  pamphlet  to  the  Parkhurst  of  the 
period: 

The  valuable  Virtue  of  Humility  is  secured  to  us  by  your  Care  to 
prevent  our  procuring,  or  so  much  as  seeing,  any  Negroes  (the  only 
human  Creatures  proper  to  improve  our  Soil)  lest  our  simplicity 
might  mistake  the  poor  Africans  for  greater  slaves  than  ourselves: 
And  that  \ve  might  fully  receive  the  Spiritual  Benefit  of  those  whole 
some  Austerities,  you  haVe  wisely  denied  us  the  Use  of  such  Spirituous 
Liquors  as  might  in  the  least  divert  our  minds  from  the  Contemplation 
of  our  Happy  Circumstances. 

This  soulful  tribute  to  the  lofty  philanthropy  of  the 
pioneer  reformer  would  seem  to  signify  that  the  primitive 
Georgian  was  not  above  the  vice  of  sarcasm,  and  appears 
to  have  had  a  demoralizing  influence  upon  the  purifier  of 
coloriial  politics,  as  a  little  later  in  history  we  find  him 
in  the  character  of  a  Carolina  slaveholder,  applying  the 
profits  of  his  new  career  of  usefulness  to  the  support  of 
his  Georgia  orphan  asylum,  piously  thanking  God  that 
his  investment  was  profitable,  and  finding  fault  with  the 
tyrannical  law  which  obliged  him  to  have  his  slaves  and 
his  orphans  on  different  sides  of  the  dividing  line. 
Whether  he  sought  consolation  for  his  misfortune  in 
Manhattan  cocktails  or  'arf-an'-'arf,  is  not  recorded. 
Through  the  charitable  efforts  of  this  severe  moralist, 
slavery  was  fastened  upon  Georgia,  and  there  was  fur- 


132  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

nished  an  early  illustration  of  the  modern  definition  of 
vice  as  "a  virtue  gone  to  seed." 

Many  of  the  English  sovereigns  invested  in  slave- 
ships,  and  in  1776  slavery  existed  in  all  thirteen  States. 
A  regular  traffic  was  carried  on  between  New  England 
and  Africa.  Virginia  fought  this  revolting  trade  in  the 
Federal  Convention,  but  New  England  voted  with  South 
Carolina  and  Georgia  that  for  another  twenty  years  this 
terrible  crime  should  blot  our  escutcheon. 

Still  the  Southern  leaders  fought,  and  in  1790  the  Con 
gress  of  the  United  States  declared  that  it  possessed  "no 
power  to  interfere  with  slavery  or  the  treatment  of  slaves 
within  the  States." 

In  the  meantime  the  Northern  States  had  discovered 
that  it  was  not  so  lucrative  to  hold  slaves  in  a  rigorous  cli 
mate  as  it  was  to  catch  them  on  the  African  coast  and  sell 
them  into  conditions  more  favorable  to  the  tropical  consti 
tution  and  to  the  production  of  those  crops  to  the  man 
agement  cf  which  the  African  intelligence  was  best 
adapted.  Consequently  the  North  was  seized  upon  by  a 
severe  spasm  of  virtue  which  demanded  that  she  should, 
for  value  received,  transfer  her  human  possessions  to  the 
South,  after  the  manner  of  the  enthusiastic  young  convert 
who  announced  in  prayer-meeting  that  her  eyes  had  been 
graciously  opened  to  see  that  her  feathers  and  ribbons 
and  laces  were  carrying  her  straight  down  to  hell,  so  she 
pulled  them  all  off  and  gave  them  to  her  sister. 

In  1820,  when  Missouri  was  admitted  into  the  Union, 
the  first  halt  was  effected.  The  East  was  greatly  opposed 
to  the  extension  of  the  Union  toward  the  southwest,  and 
carried  out  its  resolution  that  slavery  should  not  be  rec 
ognized  as  legal  in  the  Territories  north  of  the  parallel 

30°  30'. 

Patrick  Henry,  Marshall,  Jefferson,  Henry  Clay,  and 


SLAVERY.  133 

John  Quincy  Adams,  all  recognized  the  great  evil  and 
fought  for  the  remedy. 

In  1829  Henry  Clay  said:  "If  I  were  to  invoke  the 
greatest  blessing  on  earth  which  heaven,  in  its  mercy, 
could  now  bestow  on  this  nation,  it  would  be  the  sepa 
ration  of  the  two  most  numerous  races  of  its  population, 
and  their  comfortable  establishment  in  distant  and  differ 
ent  countries." 

Notwithstanding  this,  the  House,  in  1836,  reaffirmed 
the  declaration  of  1790. 

Thus,  despite  her  protests,  the  blight  of  slavery  was 
fixed  upon  the  South,  and  all  her  industries  were  para 
lyzed  by  the  heavy  hand  of  unskilled  labor.  The  earth 
teemed  with  agricultural  possibilities  which  never  de 
veloped  into  realities.  The  soil  was  wholly  given  over  to 
the  production  of  those  crops  which  could  be  tilled  and 
harvested  with  the  least  effort  of  intelligence.  Great 
stores  of  mineral  wealth  lay  sleeping  in  their  subterranean 
beds,  waiting  through  the  generations  for  the  morning 
dawn  to  awaken  them. 

The  Southern  planter  and  his  family  subsisted  on  food 
procured  from  Northern  markets.  They  were  garbed  in 
raiment  woven  in  Northern  or  European  factories.  No 
Southern  steamers  rode  triumphantly  out  from  Southern 
harbors,  laden  with  the  fruits  of  Southern  soil  and  South 
ern  skill.  Southern  productions  were  shipped  by  North 
ern  dealers  from  Northern  ports  in  Northern  vessels,  and 
in  return  the  South  received  supplies  through  the  North, 
ornamented  with  a  Northern  tariff.  From  the  cradle  to 
the  grave  the  dweller  in  the  South  was  an  animated  ad 
vertisement  of  the  disadvantages  of  an  obsolete  Oriental 
system  of  labor  grafted  on  to  the  most  recent  form  of 
modern  Occidental  civilization. 

The  political  disasters  resulting  from  the  enforced  con- 


134  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

41 

dition  were  no  less  than  its  economic  disadvantages.  A 
system  which  a  few  generations  earlier  had  been  regarded 
in  the  North  as  a  mere  economic  blunder  gradually  came 
to  be  viewed  as  a  crime.  The  North  had  rid  herself 
of  the  burden  of  slavery,  why  could  not  the  South?  The 
North  had  freed  herself  by  the  simple  and  easy  process 
of  unloading  upon  the  South.  There  was  no  remoter 
South  to  serve  its  turn  in  the  descending  scale,  unless  it 
were  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  against  which,  laying  aside 
the  matter  of  expense,  certain  considerations  of  humanity 
might  obtain. 

The  system  became  a  component  part  of  the  life  of  the 
South.  To  separate  it  from  that  life  was  like  taking  a  vital 
part  from  a  highly  evolved  organism  and  expecting  its  func 
tions  to  continue.  Laying  aside  the  financial  difficulties 
of  getting  rid  of  slavery,  there  still  remained  the  one  great 
problem,  what  could  we  do  with  the  slave  if  he  should 
become  politically  free?  He  could  not  be  morally  and 
economically  free,  because  his  nature  and  training  had 
not  fitted  him  for  liberty. 

The  political  and  social  dangers  of  any  form  of  eman 
cipation  were  considered  to  outweigh  the  economic  dis 
advantages  of  the  existing  condition,  and  for  years  the 
war  of  contending  political  parties  went  on  with  a  degree 
of  acrimony  probably  never  before  equaled  in  political 
discussion  between  the  different  parts  of  the  same  coun 
try.  It  passed  through  all  the  stages  of  fugitive-slave 
laws,  Dred  Scott  decision,  Kansas-Nebraska  bill,  abolition 
warfare,  underground  railways,  and  reached  the  acute 
phase  of  the  slavery  and  free-soil  war  in  "bleeding 
Kansas." 

From  the  smoke  of  that  conflict,  like  a  genie  from 
a  malignantly  enchanted  box  in  "  Arabian  Nights,"  arose 
the  most  striking  figure  of  the  long  and  bitter  strife 


SLAVERY,  135 

between  freedom  and  slavery — John  Brown  of  Osawat- 
omie,  variously  regarded,  according  to  the  viewpoint  of 
the  beholder,  as  all  the  way  from  a  holy  prophet  adorned 
with  the  mystic  halo,  sent  by  a  divine  power  to  herald 
the  dawn  of  a  new  civilization,  to  a  vicious  ruffian  and 
criminal,  actuated  by  designs  of  the  most  evil  character. 
Probably  he  was  only  the  victim  of  an  acute  degree  of 
fanaticism,  such  as  occasions  of  great  excitement  are 
likely  to  produce.  From  long  dwelling  upon  one  idea 
he  had  become  a  monomaniac,  in  whose  eyes  all  objects 
took  the  coloring  of  his  own  imaginings. 

Being  a  lineal  descendant  of  the  Puritan  Pilgrims,  he 
set  about  his  self-appointed  task  with  the  grim  determina 
tion  which  inspired  his  forefathers  in  their  crusade  against 
witchcraft  and  their  Christian  efforts  for  the  reformation 
of  Roger  Williams  and  Anne  Hutchinson. 

A  complete  stranger  to  the  life  of  the  South,  he  had 
become  imbued  with  the  delusion,  then  prevalent  in  the 
North,  that  the  slaves  were  a  grievously  oppressed  and 
suffering  race,  constantly  under  an  agonizing  sense  of  then 
wrongs,  and  ready  to  seize  upon  every  suggestion  of  an 
opportunity  of  avenging  them. 

The  personal  devotion  which  afterward  led  many  of 
the  slaves  to  risk  their  lives  for  the  safety  and  support  of 
their  masters'  families  and  to  forego  their  own  freedom 
for  the  sake  of  those  whom  they  rightly  regarded  as  their 
best  friends,  was  something  entirely  outside  of  the  ex 
perience  or  observation  of  this  erratic  mind  which  had 
been  perverted  from  all  sense  of  reason  or  justice  by  ex 
clusive  devotion  to  one  erroneous  idea. 

Having  secured  money  and  arms  through  a  secret  com 
mittee  in  Boston,  composed  of  Dr.  Samuel  G.  Howe, 
Frank  B.  Sanborn,  George  L.  Stearns  and  T.  Wentworth 
Higginson,  Brown  prepared  to  strike  the  blow  in  May 


PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

of  1858.  He  was  betrayed  by  Forbes,  an  English  adven 
turer,  who  had  joined  in  the  project  and  who,  being  dis 
appointed  in  his  effort  to  depose  Brown  and  usurp  his 
place,  took  this  method  of  avenging  himself.  For  this 
reason  action  was  postponed  to  the  following  year. 

In  the  autumn  of  1859  John  Brown  assembled  together 
eighteen  other  minds  almost  as  warped  as  his  own,  and 
made  his  disastrous  descent  upon  Harper's  Ferry,  falling 
into  the  hands  of  Colonel  Robert  E.  Lee  and  his  detach 
ment  of  United  States  marines,  and  met  the  fate  that  is 
most  likely  to  befall  a  man  who  mistakes  both  himself 
and  the  era  in  which  he  lives. 

The  singular  qualities  of  this  most  morbidly  erratic 
character  in  the  whole  dark  history  of  slavery  agitation 
are  thus  set  forth  by  Governor  Wise,  of  Virginia,  who  vis 
ited  him  in  the  guard-house: 

"They  are  mistaken  who  take  him  for  a  madman.  He 
is  a  man  of  clear  head,  courageous  fortitude,  and  simple 
ingenuousness.  He  is  cool,  collected,  and  indomitable; 
and  it  is  but  just  to  him  to  say  that  he  was  humane  to  his 
prisoners;  and  he  inspired  all  with  great  trust  in  his  in 
tegrity  and  as  a  man  of  truth.  He  is  a  fanatic,  vain  and 
garrulous,  but  firm,  truthful,  and  intelligent." 

On  the  2d  of  December,  1859,  the  name  of  John  Brown 
was  added  to  the  roll  of  martyrs  on  one  side  of  the  divid 
ing  line,  and  to  the  list  of  defeated  criminals  on  the  other, 
and  it  would  have  been  lost  in  the  dust  which  time  throws 
upon  the  name  and  fame  of  all  ill-guided  enthusiasts,  had 
not  the  rapid  succession  of  startling  events  immediately 
subsequent  to  this  period  kept  "his  soul  marching  on." 
Though  these  things  all  happened  but  one  year  be 
fore  South  Carolina  formally  seceded  from  the  Union, 
Wendell  Phillips  said  over  the  coffin  of  the  fallen  fanatic: 
"I  do  not  believe  slavery  will  go  down  in  blood." 


SLAVERY.  137 

In  how  short  a  time  did  that  long-contested  institution 
go  down  in  blood,  and  from  its  ruins  arose  a  new  South  to 
give  the  world  impressive  lessons  in  the  eternal  persist 
ence  of  vital  force. 

Never  before  in  the  history  of  the  world  did  any  peo 
ple  pluck  from  defeat  so  glorious  a  victory.  The  blow 
which  struck  the  South  to  earth  severed  her  shackles  and 
set  her  free. 

In  the  past  decade  the  wealth  of  the  South  has  in 
creased  nearly  four  billions,  far  exceeding  the  property 
value  of  the  slaves  set  free  by  the  war.  The  increase  is 
becoming  still  greater  as  the  years  pass  on. 

One-fourth  of  all  the  spindles  in  the  country  belong 
to  the  Southern  States,  and  the  South  can  now  consume 
one-tenth  of  all  the  product  of  her  cotton-fields. 

Her  iron  area  is  seven  hundred  miles  in  length,  and 
two  hundred  in  width,  paralleled  by  belts  of  limestone  and 
coal.  English  producers  can  not  compete  with  the  prices 
Alabama  is  now  furnishing. 

From  the  whispering  foliage  of  her  majestic  forests 
floats  over  all  her  broad  land  a  message  of  prosperity, 
of  wealth,  of  commercial  greatness. 

Over  the  fields  where  once  grew  only  cotton,  rice,  to 
bacco,  and  sugar,  now  waves  the  golden-tasseled  corn,  in 
happy  prophecy  of  the  harvest  of  gold  which  the  autumn 
will  bring. 

The  Southland,  once  dependent  upon  her  Northern 
sister  for  the  merest  necessities  of  life,  now  subsists  upon 
her  own  never-failing  resources,  and  her  intense  vitality 
and  rapid  progress  prove  that  her  children  are  worthy 
of  the  glorious  heritage  which  has  been  bestowed  upon 
them. 

In  the  measuring  of  the  "grist"  which  "the  mills  of 
the  gods"  have  ground,  the  Fifteenth  Amendment  has 


138  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

• 
not  proved  an  unmitigated   evil.     It  has  imposed  upon 

the  South  a  political  burden  she  was  little  able  to  bear, 
but  it  has  also  given  her  a  political  strength  which  she 
would  not  otherwise  have  enjoyed.  Though  it  has 
wrought  injury  to  its  unfortunate  victim,  who  was  help 
lessly  and  unconsciously  legislated  into  duties  for  which 
he  was  not  fitted  and  responsibilities  of  which  he  had  not 
the  faintest  conception,  retarding  his  progress  and  lead 
ing  him  to  depend  upon  politics  instead  of  individual 
effort,  it  has  increased  Southern  representation  in  Con 
gress  and  given  the  South  a  legislative  power  which  she 
never  before  exerted.  It  has  created  race  prejudice 
where  it  did  not  before  exist,  but  its  worst  effects  will 
melt  away  in  the  sunlight  of  the  prosperity  which  has 
dawned  so  gloriously  for  the  summer-land. 

Thus,  the  dark  shadow  lifted  from  her  pathway,  the 
South  moves  forward  on  her  heaven-lit  course  to  her 
brilliant  destiny. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

SECESSION. 

The  victims  of  a  lost  cause  are  not  alone  those  wha 
go  down  in  its  wreck.  Perhaps  its  saddest  victims  are  its 
precursors  —  those  who  have  marked  out  the  pathway  to 
the  field  on  which  the  great  battle  is  to  be  fought  and 
lost. 

Thus  it  was  with  many  who  led  the  way  to  the  final 
adjustment  of  the  long-disputed  question  of  States' 
rights,  a  quarrel  which  had  begun  away  back  in  the 
beginning  of  constitutional  history.  When  Hamilton 
and  Jefferson  separated  on  the  question  of  centralization 
of  power,  they  laid  out  a  long  and  circuitous  route  to  a 
tragic  ending  of  the  dispute  which  began  with  the  failure 
of  the  Articles  of  Confederation  and  led  up  to  the  dra 
matic  exit  of  the  Southern  members  from  the  halls  of 
Congress,  more  than  half  a  century  later 

Article  II.  in  the  "Articles  of  Confederation"  stipu 
lated  that,  "Each  State  retains  its  sovereignty,  freedom 
and  independence." 

Article  III.  specified  that,  "The  said  States  hereby 
severally  enter  into  a  firm  league  of  friendship  with  each 
other." 

The  great  advocate  of  Federalism,  Alexander  Hamil 
ton,  was  among  the  first  to  appreciate  the  advantage  which 
the  State  government  possessed  in  the  affections  of  the 
people.  He  perceived  that  in  a  clash  of  State  with 
national  interests,  the  State  interests  would  receive  the 
support  of  the  people. 

139 


140  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

Under  the  Articles  of  Confederation  the  States  had 
shown  more  disposition  to  take  back  the  powers  which 
had  been  delegated  to  the  general  government  than  to 
give  up  any  that  might  remain. 

The  State  was  the  mother  of  the  people;  the  general 
government  was  an  unsympathetic,  overbearing  master. 
The  bond  between  the  State  and  the  individual  had 
become  a  fixed  habit  of  affection.  To  rend  the  State 
government  would  be  the  act  of  a  matricide;  it  would 
even  be  self-destruction.  Should  the  general  government 
fall  to  pieces  in  some  sudden  political  earthquake  life 
would,  according  to  the  popular  view,  go  on  much  the 
same  as  it  had  always  done. 

In  certain  large  affairs  of  life  the  people  looked  to  the 
national  government  —  in  the  small  things  of  every-day 
existence  they  looked  to  the  State.  The  small  things  are 
what  make  up  life.  Large  events  occur  once  or  twice  in 
a  lifetime;  small  ones  happen  every  day. 

The  people  paid  taxes  to  the  State;  in  return  therefor 
they  shared  in  the  institutions  which  were  supported  by 
those  taxes.  They  constructed  and  repaired  roads  for  the 
State;  they  walked  and  drove  over  those  roads.  They 
supported  schools  for  the  State;  their  children  reaped  the 
advantages  of  those  schools.  They  elected  the  law 
makers  of  the  State;  they  looked  to  the  State  laws  for 
protection.  The  State  officers  were  their  fellow-citizens, 
some  of  them  near  and  dear  friends.  In  them  they  felt 
a  much  stronger  personal  interest  than  in  the  President 
and  Cabinet,  too  far  away  to  seem  to  hold  any  connection 
with  the  mass  of  the  people. 

One  of  the  delegates  to  the  Federal  Convention  had 
expressed  his  opinion  that  the  people  would  be  rather 
more  attached  to  the  national  government,  as  being  more 
important  in  itself,  and  more  flattering  to  their  pride. 


SECESSION.  141 

Hamilton,  stern  old  Federalist  though  he  was,  and  some 
what  cold,  as  he  was  regarded,  yet  recognized  the  fact 
that  with  the  mass  of  the  people  State  feeling  is  likely 
to  outrank  national  pride.  Even  the  selfish  passions, 
avarice,  ambition,  interest,  he  felt,  would  flow  with  the 
stream  of  State  power.  So  great  was  his  apprehension  of 
the  power  of  the  State  over  the  popular  mind  that  he  was 
almost  hopeless  of  uniting  such  varied  and  inharmonious 
interests  into  one  republic  of  States.  He  felt  apprehen 
sive  that  only  the  British  form  of  government  would  hold 
together  the  diverse  sentiments  in  America. 

Had  public  opinion  permitted  Hamilton  to  extinguish 
the  State  governments  in  setting  up  the  national  govern 
ment  founded  upon  the  Constitution,  which  owes  its  ex 
istence,  perhaps,  more  to  him  than  any  one  else,  there 
would  have  been  no  question  of  States'  rights  to  develop 
into  the  discordant  element  which  it  became  in  a  few 
years  after  the  adoption  of  the  Constitution.  As  things 
remained,  the  States  adopted  the  Constitution,  but  the 
people  continued  true  to  the  old  State  governments  to 
which  they  were  accustomed. 

In  1783,  after  peace  was  established,  the  States  from 
time  to  time  began  to  grow  jealous  of  the  powers  of  each 
other,  and  in  1789  the  Federal  government  acted  upon  a 
basis  of  secession  from  the  Articles  of  Confederation  of 
1781.  Virginia  emphatically  reserved  the  right  to  with 
draw  from  the  compact  if  she  found  it  against  her  interest 
to  remain  in  it,  as  did  the  ten  other  States. 

The  Constitution  held  each  State  to  be  self-governing. 
This  construction  held  until  1798,  when  the  alien  and  sedi 
tion  laws  were  passed.  Kentucky  and  Virginia  denounced 
these  laws  as  contrary  to  the  Constitution,  which  was  a 
compact  between  the  States.  The  celebrated  Virginia 
and  Kentucky  resolutions  followed,  declaring  that  when 


142  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

Congress  passed  acts  beyond  its  constitutional  powers 
the  States  were  not  bound  to  obey,  anS,  what  was  of  far 
more  moment,  that  each  State  had  the  right  to  determine 
the  question  of  constitutionality. 

These  resolutions  possessed  the  greater  power  by  rea 
son  of  their  authorship.  That  of  Virginia  was  drawn  up 
by  Madison,  one  of  the  immortal  three  to  whom  the 
nation  was  indebted  for  its  Constitution,  and  who  might 
be  supposed  to  know,  if  any  man  could,  what  that  Consti 
tution  meant.  The  Kentucky  resolution  was  prepared  by 
Jefferson,  then  Vice-President,  who  may  fairly  be  ranked 
as  the  founder  of  the  doctrine  of  States'  rights. 

In  the  original  draft  Jefferson  had  written:  "Where 
powers  are  assumed  which  have  not  been  delegated,  a 
nullification  of  the  act  is  the  rightful  remedy;  every  State 
has  a  natural  right,  in  cases  not  within  the  compact,  to 
nullify,  of  their  own  authority,  all  assumptions  of  power 
by  others  within  their  limits."  Though  this  passage  was 
omitted  from  the  resolutions  of  1798,  it  was  in  substance 
restored  the  next  year. 

In  1803  Napoleon  said,  regarding  the  proposed  sale  of 
Louisiana  to  the  United  States:  "Perhaps  it  may  be 
objected  that  the  Americans  will  be  found  too  powerful 
for  Europe  in  two  or  three  centuries,  but  my  foresight 
does  not  embrace  such  remote  feats.  Besides,  we  may 
hereafter  expect  rivalries  among  the  members  of  the 
Union.  The  confederations  which  are  called  perpetual 
only  last  till  one  of  the  contracting  parties  finds  it  to  his 
interest  to  break  them." 

The  prophecy  of  this  astute  political  reasoner  was 
justified  in  1811  when  Louisiana  sought  to  enter  the 
Union.  Among  the  violent  opposers  of  this  movement 
was  Josiah  Quincy,  of  Massachusetts,  who,  on  the  floor  of 
Congress,  declared: 


SECESSION.  143 

"  If  this  bill  passes  it  is  my  deliberate  opinion  that  it  is 
virtually  a  dissolution  of  this  Union;  that  it  will  free  the 
States  from  their  moral  obligation;  and,  as  it  will  be  the 
right  of  all,  so  it  will  be  the  duty  of  some,  definitely  to 
prepare  for  a  separation,  amicably  if  they  can,  violently  if 
they  must." 

As  a  result  of  the  Embargo  Act,  in  1809,  Massachusetts 
called  a  convention  of  the  maritime  States  to  form  a 
union  against  the  Federal  government,  a  movement  which 
was  prevented  by  the  repeal  of  the  obnoxious  act. 

In  1812,  when  the  United  States  was  presenting  to  the 
world  the  novel  and  striking  spectacle  of  waging  through 
one  of  its  political  parties  a  foreign  war  which  was 
violently  opposed  by  the  other  great  political  party,  the 
doctrine  of  States'  rights  again  threatened  to  reach  its 
legitimate  conclusion  of  secession. 

President  Madison  was  denounced  as  a  usurper  of 
powers  from  which  he  was  debarred  by  the  Constitution. 
From  the  beginning  Massachusetts  had  denied  the  right 
of  the  government  to  call  for  troops,  holding,  as  has  since 
been  held  in  somewhat  notable  instances,  that  it  was  for 
the  Governor  of  the  State,  and  not  for  the  President,  to 
decide  whether  there  was  sufficient  reason  for  calling  out 
State  militia. 

Rhode  Island  and  Connecticut  refused  to  put  their 
troops  under  the  command  of  Federal  officers,  the  latter 
declaring  her  sovereign  independence,  and  holding  with 
unswerving  tenacity  the  theory  that  the  United  States  was 
a  confederated  republic,  not  a  nation. 

The  leaders  of  the  Federalist  party  were  seriously  con 
templating  the  question  of  whether  the  Union  was  a  failure, 
and  considering  the  feasibility  of  withdrawing  and  setting 
up  a  new  little  union  for  themselves. 

Two  years  later  the  Hartford  Convention,  called  by 


144  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

the  Massachusetts  Legislature,  expressed  the  opinion  that 
"events  may  prove  that  the  causes  of  our  calamities  are 
deep  and  permanent,"  and  when  that  shall  appear  "a 
separation  by  equitable  arrangement  will  be  preferable  to 
an  alliance  by  constraint  among  nominal  friends  but  real 
enemies,  inflamed  by  mutual  hatred  and  jealousy,  and  in 
viting  by  intestine  divisions  contempt  and  aggression  from 
abroad."  In  the  return  of  peace,  the  causes  of  controversy 
were  forgotten,  and  the  vexed  question  was  left  to  be  de 
cided  in  a  different  way  and  at  a  fearful  cost. 

In  the  first  half-century  of  constitutional  history  there 
was  no  lack  of  opportunities  for  testing  the  prophetic  in 
sight  of  the  great  First  Consul  as  to  what  might  be  ex 
pected  in  the  event  of  a  clash  of  interests  between  the 
sections. 

Such  a  clash  of  interests  arose  in  the  late  2o's  over  the 
sale  of  public  lands  in  the  West,  and  led  to  a  war  of  words 
in  which  the  subject  of  nullification  was  discussed  as  a 
possible  way  out  of  intersectional  difficulties. 

In  1831  the  controversy  over  the  protective  tariff  led 
the  great  apostle  of  States'  rights,  Calhoun,  to  make  the 
assertion :  "  The  great  dissimilarity  and;  as  I  must  add,  as 
truth  compels  me  to  do,  contrariety  of  interests  in  our 
country  are  so  great  that  they  can  not  be  subjected  to  the 
unchecked  will  of  a  majority  of  the  whole  without  defeat 
ing  the  great  end  of  government  —  without  which  it  is  a 
curse  — justice."  A  short  time  before,  at  a  public  dinner, 
he  had  followed  the  President's  toast,  "Our  Federal 
Union;  it  must  be  preserved,"  with  "The  Union,  next  to 
our  liberty  the  most  dear;  may  we  all  remember  that  it 
can  only  be  preserved  by  respecting  the  rights  of  the 
States,  and  distributing  equally  the  benefit  and  burden  of 
the  Union." 

The  word  "  nullification  "  was  first  used  by  Jefferson  in 


SECESSION,  145 

the  Kentucky  resolution  of  1798.  In  1832,  Mr.  Clay's  bill 
providing  for  "  a  reduction  of  duties  upon  foreign  prod 
ucts,  except  where  they  came  in  conflict  with  articles  of 
domestic  manufacture,"  was  regarded  by  the  South  as  fix 
ing  upon  the  country  the  protective  system,  a  policy 
which  was  favorable  to  the  manufacturers  of  the  North, 
but  not  to  the  agriculturists  of  the  South. 

On  the  24th  of  November,  1832,  the  convention  called 
by  the  Legislature  of  South  Carolina  declared  the  tariff 
act  to  be  null  and  void,  and  that  the  State  would  be  ab 
solved  from  allegiance  to  the  Union  if  the  government 
should  attempt  to  enforce  the  act,  and  would  establish 
an  independent  government.  The  threatened  war  was 
averted  by  the  efforts  of  the  great  "  Compromiser,"  Clay, 
who  modified  his  tariff  bill  to  meet  the  demands  of  South 
Carolina,  and  secession  was  once  more  postponed  to  the 
future. 

The  general  opinion  among  the  leaders  of  the  South  is 
thus  illustrated  by  the  following  statement  made  by  the 
great  nullifier:  "Nothing  short  of  a  negative,  absolute 
or  in  effect,  on  the  part  of  the  government  of  a  State 
can  possibly  protect  it  against  the  encroachments  of  the 
united  government  of  the  States,  whenever  their  powers 
come  in  conflict." 

In  the  closing  year  of  his  long  life,  that  wise  and  far- 
sighted  statesman,  Madison,  wrote:  "The  visible  suscep 
tibility  to  the  contagion  of  nullification  in  the  Southern 
States,  the  sympathy  arising  from  known  causes,  and  the  in 
culcated  impression  of  a  permanent  incompatibility  of  in 
terest  between  the  North  and  the  South,  may  put  it  in  the 
power  of  popular  leaders,  aspiring  to  the  highest  stations, 
to  unite  the  South,  on  some  critical  occasion,  in  some  course 
of  action  of  which  nullification  may  be  the  first  step,  se 
cession  the  second,  and  a  farewell  separation  the  last." 
n 


146  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

The  "incompatibility  of  interest,"  which  Mr.  Madison 
recognized  as  one  of  the  leading  elements  of  discord 
capable  of  resulting  in  "nullification,"  "secession,"  and 
"farewell  separation,"  was  impressively  illustrated  in  the 
discussions  of  the  commercial  convention  which  met  in 
1838  at  Augusta,  Georgia,  and  afterward  at  Charleston, 
South  Carolina. 

In  this  convention  a  comparison  was  made  between 
the  relative  commercial  conditions  of  North  and  South 
before  and  after  the  Union.  In  coloniil  times  the  com 
merce  of  the  South  was  far  superior  to  that  of  the  North; 
under  the  Constitution  the  difference  was  very  largely  in 
favor  of  the  North.  In  1760  the  importations  of  Virginia 
amounted  to  850,000  pounds  st  jrling,  and  that  of  South 
Carolina  to  555,000  pounds  sterling.  The  imports  of  New 
York  at  the  same  period  were  only  189,000;  of  Pennsyl 
vania,  490,000,  and  of  all  the  New  England  colonies  col 
lectively  only  561,000  pounds  sterling.  In  1,821  the  im 
ports  into  New  York  had  risen  to  about  seventy  times  its 
colonial  import  at  an  equal  time  before  the  adoption  of 
the  Constitution.  Those  of  South  Carolina  were  about  the 
same  as  in  1760.  In  the  nullification  period  of  South 
Carolina  the  difference  had  increased  to  an  enormous  ex 
tent.  New  York  had  more  than  doubled,  Virginia  had 
fallen  off  one-half,  South  Carolina  two-thirds. 

There  were  natural  and  inherent  causes  for  a  difference 
in  the  commercial  magnitude  of  the  two  sections,  but, 
making  due  allowance  for  these,  the  convention  held  that 
unfair  legislation  was  the  prevailing  cause  of  their  busi 
ness  depression.  The  plan  of  the  convention,  providing 
for  the  opening  of  the  Southern  ports  to  trade  with  for 
eign  countries,  failed.  This  failure,  though  partly  the  ef 
fect  of  Northern  advantages  of  navigation,  business  apti 
tude,  and  free  labor,  was  yet  held  by  the  South  to  be  in 


SECESSION.  147 

great  degree  due  to  Congressional  legislation,  which  had 
resulted  in  giving  commercial  success  to  the  North  in  pref 
erence  to  the  South.  The  undeniable  facts  still  remained, 
that  in  colonial  days  the  South  was  the  seat  of  power,  and 
that  she  had  now  fallen  to  a  minor  place. 

Again,  in  1842-43  Massachusetts  and  Ohio  proposed  a 
"peaceful  dissolution  of  the  Union,"  as  preferable  to  re 
maining  a  part  of  a  commonwealth  which  included  Texas 
in  its  territory.  The  next  year  the  American  anti-slav 
ery  party  announced  that  it  was  their  duty  to  withdraw 
from  the  Union  and  repudiate  a  Constitution  which  toler 
ated  slavery. 

In  1844,  when  the  discussion  of  the  annexation  of  Texas 
was  raging  hotly,  the  question  of  secession  again  arose 
in  the  South.  A  meeting  was  held  at  Ashley,  South  Caro 
lina,  to  unite  the  Southern  States  in  support  of  annexa 
tion,  and  to  invite  the  President  to  convene  Congress  to 
arrange  terms  of  separation  if  Texas  should  not  be  admit 
ted.  One  of  the  resolutions  passed  at  that  meeting  was: 

That  the  President  of  the  United  States  be  requested  by  the  general 
convention  of  the  slave  States,  to  call  Congress  together  immediately; 
when  the  final  issue  shall  be  made  up,  and  the  alternative  distinctly  pre 
sented  to  the  free  States,  either  to  admit  Texas  into  the  Union,  or  to 
proceed  peaceably  and  calmly  to  arrange  the  terms  of  a  dissolution  of 
the  Union. 

That  such  dissolution  could  not  be  "peaceably  and 
calmly"  effected  evidently  did  not  occur  to  any  member 
of  the  convention.  According  to  the  doctrine  of  States' 
rights  to  which  they  had  been  trained  there  was  no  valid 
reason  for  making  objection  to  such  an  arrangement. 

At  Beaufort  in  the  same  State  it  was  resolved,  "that 
we  will  dissolve  this  Union  sooner  than  abandon  Texas." 
At  a  large  meeting  in  the  Williamsburg  District  it  was  re 
solved  that  "we  hold  it  to  be  better  and  more  to  the  in- 


148  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

^ 
terest  of  the  southern  and  southwestern  portions  of  this 

confederacy  to  be  out  of  the  Union  with  Texas  than  in  it 
without  her." 

For  the  time,  this  movement  was  suppressed  by  dis 
senting  views  earnestly  promoted  in  other  parts  of  the 
South,  but  the  subject  was  only  postponed  to  break  out 
later  in  a  more  violent  form. 

Thus  all  the  history  of  the  United  States,  North  and 
South,  since  the  adoption  of  the  Constitution,  pointed  to 
ward  secession  as  the  remedy  for  all  sectional  wrongs  and 
misfortunes. 

The  young  men  of  martial  instincts  went  to  West  Point 
and  learned  the  doctrine  of  States'  rights,  under  the  foster 
ing  care  of  the  United  States  government,  from  the  same 
text-books  from  which  they  absorbed  the  art  of  war. 

Soon  after  the  New  England  States  had  threatened  to 
secede  unless  the  war  with  Great  Britain  was  adjusted  sat 
isfactorily  to  them,  a  Northern  lawyer  named  Rawle  pre 
pared  a  work  known  as  "  Rawle  on  the  Constitution."  In 
this  book  the  right  of  secession  was  clearly  set  forth  as 
one  guaranteed  by  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States. 
In  view  of  the  circumstances,  this  work  may  fairly  be  sup 
posed  to  represent  the  sentiment  of  the  North  on  the  sub 
ject  of  States'  rights. 

When  Calhoun  was  Secretary  of  War  he  caused  this 
book  to  be  included  in  the  course  of  study  as  pursued  at 
West  Point,  where  it  remained  until  it  was  superseded  in 
1861  by  some  other  text-book  which  presented  a  different 
view  of  the  vexed  question.  For  nearly  half  a  century 
the  only  treatise  on  the  Constitution  ever  seen  by  a  West 
Point  cadet  was  Rawle's  "Commentaries  on  the  Constitu 
tion,"  from  which  they  were  taught  the  principle  that  at  a 
later  period  became  a  political  crime. 

Politicians  followed  the  lead  of  that  greatest  of  all 


SECESSION.  149 

Southern  statesmen,  Calhoun,  the  unparalleled  champion 
of  States'  rights. 

What  wonder  that,  when  the  vital  crisis  came,  the  South 
should  resort  once  more  to  that  course  which  had  served 
her  so  well  in  the  past  —  secession? 

Abraham  Lincoln's  avowed  principle  was  that  if  slav 
ery  was  wrong  for  the  North,  it  was  wrong  for  the  South, 
and  that  the  Federal  Union  must  be  all  slave  or  all  free 
territory.  When,  in  1860,  he  was  elected  President  the 
Southern  States  looked  upon  the  Union  as  substantially 
broken  and  the  cotton  States  wanted  to  secede  at  once. 
They  summoned  conventions,  in  accordance  with  the  prec 
edent  of  1787  in  the  adoption  of  the  Federal  Constitution. 
Through  these  conventions  they  revoked  the  assent  of 
each  commonwealth  to  the  federal  compact  and,  as 
sovereign  commonwealths,  they  formed  a  new  federal 
compact,  as  the  Southern  Confederacy. 

The  border  States,  were  bitterly  opposed  to  secession, 
taking  no  part  in  the  movement,  anxiously  and  prayerfully 
awaiting  the  policy  of  President  Lincoln  —  but,  alas!  they 
interpreted  his  inaugural  speech  as  a  declaration  of  war. 
After  his  Cabinet  meeting,  March  29,  1861,  he  ordered  a 
naval  expedition  to  be  in  readiness  to  move  on  to  Sumter 
and  Pickens.  On  April  12,  1861,  Beauregard,  in  opposi 
tion  to  this  armed  invasion,  opened  fire,  and  Mr.  Lincoln 
further  verified  the  interpretation  of  his  address  by  issuing 
an  official  call  for  seventy-five  thousand  volunteers  to  over 
come  "  combinations  too  powerful  to  be  suppressed  by  ju 
dicial  proceedings."  The  border  States,  who  had  hereto 
fore  been  for  peace,  at  once  put  on  their  war-paint. 

Virginia,  who,  but  a  month  before,  had  by  a  vote  of 
ninety  to  forty-five  rejected  the  ordinance  of  secession, 
now  immediately  passed  it.  North  Carolina,  Tennessee 
and  Arkansas  followed  in  hot  haste. 


ISO  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

d 

Thus  North  and  South,  each  charging  the  other  with 
aggression,  sprang  to  arms,  father  against  son,  brother 
against  brother;  the  North  to  "  save  the  Union,"  the  South 
to  defend  her  homes  and  firesides. 

General  Pickett  was  stationed  at  San  Juan  Island  on 
the  Pacific  coast  when  his  State  seceded,  and  the  follow 
ing  letter  to  one  of  his  loved  ones,  written  on  his  way 
back  to  offer  his  services  to  his  beloved  Virginia,  will 
show  the  contending  feelings  of  his  brave  and  loving 
heart: 

I  pray  God  that  this  direful  revolution 

which  has  come  about  because  of  misunderstandings,  and  for  which  I  see 
no  real  necessity,  may  yet  in  some  way  be  averted. 

Of  course,  President  Lincoln's  call  to  march  against  the  South,  the 
encampment  around  Washington,  the  invasion  of  Maryland  by  a  Mas 
sachusetts  regiment,  the  blockading  of  the  Southern  ports  against  the 
commerce  of  the  whole  world,  mean  war  and  leave  but  one  honorable 
course  open  to  me. 

Dearly,  therefore,  as  I  love  the  Union,  and  proud  as  I  am  of  my 
country  and  the  great  name  of  American  citizen,  I  can  not  invade  my  own 
fireside  —  I  can  not  raise  my  arm  against  my  own  kith  and  kin.  All  my 
ambition  and  patriotism  shall  henceforth  live  only  in  the  defense  of  my 
beloved  State,  which  has  the  first  claim  upon  my  allegiance,  and  demands 
this  my  immediate  return  to  her.  I  hope  the  South  has  thought  to  keep 
our  flag,  the  stars  and  the  stripes,  for  the  star-spangled  banner  will  be 
worth  more  to  us  in  the  coming  conflict  than  the  people  of  the  South, 
who  only  know  their  own  State  flag,  have  any  idea  of 

The  war  between  the  States  has  now  been  over  thirty- 
three  years.  The  falsehoods  and  misrepresentations  as  to 
the  causes  which  led  up  to  that  gigantic  struggle  should 
have  since  been  truthfully  and  candidly  written,  but  the 
powers  which  have  mainly  controlled  affairs  since  the  war 
have  seemed  to  find  it  necessary  to  justify  their  actions 
by  an  unfair  statement  of  the  motives  and  principles 
which  drove  the  Southern  States  to  secession. 


SECESSION.  1 5 1 

Histories,  paintings,  theatrical  exhibitions,  panoramas, 
and  all  things  which  contribute  to  form  public  opinion, 
have,  in  order  to  secure  financial  success,  been  made  to 
pander  too  much  to  the  tastes  and  prejudices  of  those  who 
should  be  furnished  with  the  substantial  truth. 

Though  the  American  people,  as  a  class,  are  as  intelli 
gent  generally  as  the  foremost  nations  of  the  world,  yet 
comparatively  few  have  had  the  time,  thought,  or  interest 
thoroughly  to  investigate  the  causes  which  prompted  the 
action  of  the  South.  If  the  question  should  be  asked  of 
the  average  citizen  north  of  the  Potomac,  "What  was  the 
cause  of  the  Civil  War?"  his  reply  would  be,  "The  South 
attempted  to  destroy  the  Union  to  perpetuate  human 
slavery." 

In  my  humble  tribute  to  the  history  of  the  struggle,  I 
feel  it  due  to  the  memory,  patriotism,  statesmanship 
and  pure  Christian  character  of  the  thousands  and  tens  of 
thousands  of  our  beloved  Southern  men  who  offered  up 
their  all  in  this  mighty  struggle,  to  say  here,  that  I  wish 
to  prevent,  as  far  as  it  is  possible  for  my  feeble  effort  to 
do  so,  any  such  falsification  of  so  important  a  page  in 
history. 

The  right  of  secession,  as  shown  in  the  historical  facts 
set  forth  in  this  chapter,  has  at  different  periods  been 
claimed  by  every  section  of  this  country.  To  deny  this  is 
to  deny  history.  In  his  speech  in  Congress  on  the  "Spot 
Resolutions,"  Mr.  Lincoln  said: 

Any  people  anywhere,  being  inclined  and  having  the  power,  have  the 
riglit  to  rise  up  and  shake  off  the  existing  government  and  form  a  new 
one  that  suits  them  better.  This  is  a  most  valuable,  a  most  sacred  right, 
a  right  which,  we  hope  and  believe,  is  to  liberate  the  world.  Nor  is  this 
right  confined  to  cases  in  which  the  whole  people  of  an  existing  govern 
ment  may  choose  to  exercise  it.  Any  portion  of  such  people  that  can 
may  revolutionize,  and  make  their  own  of  so  much  of  a  territory  as  they 
inhabit.  More  than  this,  a  majority  of  any  portion  of  such  people  may 


I $2  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.  . 

revolutionize,  putting  down  a  minority,  mingled  with  or  near  to  them, 
who  may  oppose  their  movements.  Such  minority  was  precisely  the  case 
of  the  Tories  of  our  own  revolution. 

We  see  that  secession  had  been  acknowledged  as  a 
right  by  all  parts  of  the  country.  When  at  the  Hartford 
Convention  New  England  threatened  to  secede  because 
she  felt  that  her  interests  were  prejudiced  by  the  war  with 
England,  she  asserted  her  faith  in  the  doctrine  of  the  right 
of  States  to  protect  that  which  most  nearly  concerned 
their  own  citizens,  though  they  had  no  such,  legal  cause  of 
secession  as  the  South  had. 

Mr.  Lincoln  was  elected  on  a  platform  which  directly 
assailed  the  rights  of  our  people  granted  by  the  Constitu 
tion.  Thus  he  violated  the  Constitution  adopted  for  a 
more  perfect  union,  and  thereby  made  the  first  assault 
upon  the  integrity  of  the  Union.  Sections  7  and  8  of  the 
platform  set  forth: 

That  the  new  dogma,  that  the  Constitution,  of  its  own  force,  carries 
slavery  into  any  or  all  of  the  territories  of  the  United  States,  is  a  danger 
ous  political  heresy,  at  variance  with  the  explicit  provisions  of  that  in 
strument  itself,  with  contemporaneous  exposition,  and  with  legislative 
and  judicial  precedent;  is  revolutionary  in  its  tendency,  and  subversive 
of  the  peace  and  harmony  of  the  country. 

That  the  normal  condition  of  all  the  territory  of  the  United  States  is 
that  of  freedom;  that  as  our  Republican  fathers,  when  they  had  abolished 
slavery  in  all  our  national  territory,  ordained  that  "no  person  should  be 
deprived  of  life,  liberty,  or  property,  without  due  process  of  law,  "  it  be 
comes  our  duty,  by  legislation,  whenever  such  legislation  is  necessary,  to 
maintain  this  provision  of  the  Constitution  against  all  attempts  to  vio 
late  it;  and  we  deny  the  authority  of  Congress,  or  a  territorial  legislature, 
or  of  any  individuals,  to  give  legal  existence  to  slavery  in  any  territory 
of  the  United  States. 

Not  only  the  rights  of  slavery  were  attacked  in  the 
Republican  platform,  but  the  right  of  occupancy  to  ter 
ritory  won  in  great  part  by  the  blood  and  treasure  of  our 


SECESSION.  153 

people  was  denied.  The  States,  therefore,  which  had  con 
tributed  so  much  to  the  formation,  protection  and  exten* 
sion  of  the  American  Union  were  made  to  feel  that  they 
no  longer  had  any  part  in  a  government  for  which,  when 
treated  with  justice  and  fairness,  they  would  gladly  have 
died.  Thus  thousands  of  broken-hearted,  patriotic,  union- 
loving  men  bade  farewell  to  a  Union  in  which  their  rights 
and  privileges  were  forcibly  wrested  from  them. 

Under  the  Southern  flag  there  were  no  traitors,  no  rebels. 
To  state  the  reverse  of  this  proposition  is  to  falsify  his 
tory;  to  charge  it  is  a  crime.  The  bravest,  truest  survivors 
who  wore  the  gray  are  as  ready  to  defend  our  country  as 
any  man  who  wore  the  blue.  They  thank  God  that  no 
question  of  slavery,  secession,  or  anything  else  can  ever 
again  disturb  our  unity,  our  interest,  or  our  pride  in  our 
grand  and  glorious  country.  But  history  will  not  fail  to 
teach  us  the  lesson  that  we  should  learn,  and  which  we  hope 
our  country  has  learned  so  thoroughly  as  never  to  be  for 
gotten,  that  the  majority,  no  matter  how  powerful,  can  not 
with  impunity  trample  upon  the  rights  of  the  minority. 

The  war  which  has  just  been  happily  concluded  showed 
the  love  and  heroism  of  all  parts  of  this  country,  and 
teaches  all  what  I  would  teach  my  reader  in  this  chapter 
—  that  the  manhood,  courage  and  patriotism  of  each  sec 
tion  of  our  country  must  not  be  disparaged  by  any  other 
portion  of  our  Union.  We  are  Americans  all. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

AT  YORKTOWN  AND  WILLIAMSBURG. 

On  the  I4th  of  February,  1862,  General  Picket!  was 
appointed  brigadier-general,  and  assigned  to  the  com 
mand  of  Cocke's  Virginia  brigade  of  infantry. 

Pickett's  brigade  was  composed  of  the  Eighth,  Eigh 
teenth,  Nineteenth  and  Twenty-eighth  Virginia  Regi 
ments.  The  Eighth  Regiment  was  commanded  by  Col 
onel  Eppa  Hunton,  and  was  recruited  in  Loudon  County, 
Virginia.  The  Eighteenth  Regiment  was  commanded  by 
Colonel  Robert  E.  Withers,  and  was  recruited  in  Pittsyl- 
vania  County,  Virginia.  The  Nineteenth  Virginia  Regi 
ment  was  commanded  by  Colonel  J.  R.  Strange,  and  was 
recruited  in  Albemarle  County.  The  Twenty-eighth  Regi 
ment  was  commanded  by  Colonel  Robert  T.  Preston,  and 
was  recruited  in  Roanoke  County. 

The  first  movement  of  the  brigade  after  General  Pickett 
assumed  command  was  the  occupation  of  the  Peninsula 
in  front  of  Yorktown  under  General  Joseph  E.  Johnston, 
where  it  maintained  the  line  of  defense  in  several  severe 
skirmishes  with  the  Federal  forces  under  General  George 
B.  McClellan. 

Of  the  four  ways  in  which  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
might  have  advanced  toward  Richmond,  McClellan  chose 
the  one  by  Fortress  Monroe  into  the  Peninsula  and  up 
between  the  James  and  York  rivers. 

Thus  the  ground  which  had  been  made  famous  less 
than  a  hundred  years  before,  by  the  surrender  of  Corn- 
wallis  to  the  combined  forces  of  Washington  and  Ro- 

154 


A  T  YORKTO  WN  AND  WILLIAM  SB  URG.  I  $  5 

chambeau,  again  became  the  scene  of  important  historic 
events. 

President  Davis,  being  uncertain  as  to  whether  McClel- 
lan's  army  was  intended  for  the  invasion  of  Virginia,  or 
was  on  its  way  to  North  Carolina,  had  sent  General  John 
G.  Walker's  brigade  from  Fredericksburg  to  North  Caro 
lina,  and  the  brigade  of  General  Wilcox  from  the  Rapidan 
to  reinforce  Magruder  near  Yorktown.  When  the  ad 
vance  upon  Yorktown  became  evident  the  divisions  of 
D.  H.  Hill,  D.  R.  Jones,  and  Early  were  sent  from  the 
Army  of  Northern  Virginia  to  the  Peninsula.  Jackson's 
division  was  left  at  Mount  Jackson,  Ewell's  on  the  Rap- 
pahannock,  Longstreet's  at  Orange  Court-house,  and  G. 
W.  Smith's  at  Fredericksburg. 

Reports  from  General  Magruder  at  Yorktown  indi 
cating  that  McClellan's  whole  army  was  moving  toward 
Richmond,  Major-General  Longstreet  and  General  Smith 
were  ordered  to  Richmond,  the  latter  leaving  a  portion 
of  his  troops  in  front  of  Fredericksburg. 

With  his  small  force  General  Magruder  opposed  the 
march  of  the  Federals,  with  the  design  of  delaying  them 
until  his  army  could  be  reinforced,  which  he  so  far  suc 
ceeded  in  doing  as  to  impress  McClellan  with  the  idea 
that  the  Confederate  forces  were  much  larger  than  they 
really  were. 

In  the  conference  which  took  place  about  this  time, 
between  President  Davis  and  his  leading  generals,  John 
ston  urged  a  consolidation  of  all  the  available  forces  in 
front  of  Richmond,  to  receive  the  impending  attack  of 
McClellan  and  repel  it  with  such  vigor  as  to  destroy  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac,  thus  hoping  to  end  the  war  at  a 
stroke.  Longstreet  wished  to  attack  Washington,  thereby 
compelling  McClellan  to  turn  his  attention  to  affairs 
nearer  home. 


PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.        ^ 

As  Davis  and  Lee  opposed  Johnston's  suggestion,  lest 
it  might  dangerously  weaken  other  important  points,  and 
Longstreet  was  not  permitted  to  elaborate  his  plan,  a  suc 
cession  of  small  engagements  took  place,  decisive  of 
nothing  in  particular,  unless  it  might  be  of  the  value  of 
"On  to  Richmond!"  as  a  war-cry.  The  first  of  these  was 
the  siege  of  Yorktown,  which  began  the  5th  of  April  and 
was  in  progress  on  the  1 7th,  when  Joseph  E.  Johnston 
took  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Peninsula. 

Upon  the  arrival  of  Smith  and  Longstreet  the  Con 
federate  forces  amounted  to  fifty  thousand,  Magruder's 
division  forming  the  right  wing,  Longstreet's  the  center, 
D.  H.  Hill's  the  left,  Smith's  the  reserve. 

There  was  some  long-range  skirmishing  and  a  daily 
cannonading,  and  a  line  of  batteries  was  constructed.  As 
the  time  drew  near  for  the  attack  to  begin,  Johnston  de 
termined  to  abandon  his  works,  rather  than  expose  his 
troops  to  a  fire  resulting  in  a  loss  so  serious  that  it  could 
not  be  compensated  for  by  the  few  days  which  might  be 
gained  for  the  reinforcement  of  his  army.  Accordingly, 
on  Saturday,  the  3d  day  of  May,  Yorktown  was  evacu 
ated,  and  General  Huger  was  ordered  from  Norfolk  to 
Richmond.  Of  the  withdrawal  from  Yorktown  Comte 
de  Paris  says:  "The  retreat  was  under  the  direction  of 
Longstreet,  who  had  already  given  evidence  of  the  posses 
sion  of  those  qualities  which  afterward  made  him  the 
greatest  of  Lee's  lieutenants." 

At  noon  on  the  4th  Williamsburg  was  reached.  At 
four  o'clock  the  cavalry  on  the  Yorktown  road  were 
driven  in,  and  a  skirmish  took  place  near  Fort  Magruder, 
where  the  Federal  troops  were  defeated  and  lost  a  piece 
of  artillery. 

There  was  a  heavy  fall  of  rain  on  the  night  of  the  4th, 
and  on  the  next  morning  Smith's  division  and  the  bag- 


A  T  YORKTO  WN  AND  WILLIAM  SB  URG.  157 

gage-train  marched  out  through  rain  and  mud.  The  Fed 
erals  attacked  the  fort,  and  the  brigades  of  Wilcox  and 
A.  P.  Hill  were  sent  to  its  assistance,  and  later,  as  the  fire 
increased,  Pickett's  and  Colston's  brigades  reinforced  the 
troops  in  the  fort. 

Johnston  had  ridden  forward  to  join  the  troops  on  the 
march,  but  the  battle  became  so  hot  that  he  turned  back 
and  ordered  the  division  of  D.  H.  Hill,  which  had  gone 
forward,  to  return  to  Longstreet's  assistance.  In  his  offi 
cial  account  of  the  engagement,  General  Johnston  says: 
"The  action  gradually  increased  in  magnitude  until  about 
three  o'clock,  when  General  Longstreet,  commanding  the 
rear,  requested  that  a  part  of  Major-General  Hill's  troops 
might  be  sent  to  his  aid.  Upon  this  I  rode  upon  the 
field,  but  found  myself  compelled  to  be  a  spectator,  for 
General  Longstreet's  clear  head  and  brave  heart  left  no 
apology  for  interference." 

At  Williamsburg,  on  this  5th  day  of  May,  1862,  Pick 
ett's  brigade,  as  a  brigade,  fought  its  first  battle,  helping 
to  repulse  the  superior  force  of  the  Federals  with  much 
honor  and  glory  to  themselves  and  great  loss  to  the 
enemy. 

General  McClellan  never  made  another  attack  upon 
the  Confederates  after  the  battle  of  Williamsburg,  never 
came  upon  striking  terms  with  them  again,  but  kept  them 
at  a  prudent  and  respectful  distance  till  he  had  safely 
crossed  the  Chickahominy. 

The  Williamsburg  conflict,  though  unsought  by  the 
Confederates,  was  important  to  them,  in  that  it  not  only 
appeased  their  impatience  for  action — for  ennui  is  a  lash — 
but  opened  a  vista  of  hope,  while  to  the  Federals  it  showed 
what  havoc  might  be  wrought  by  the  mere  fragment  of  an 
army  they  were  following. 

The  original  fie 'Id-notes  from  which  General  Pickett  made 


158  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.       9 

his  revised  and  condensed  report  of  the  battle  of  Williams- 
burg  are  as  follows: 

HEADQUARTERS  THIRD  BRIGADE,  SECOND  DIVISION, 

SECOND  CORPS,  May  — ,  1862. 

CAPTAIN:  I  have  the  honor  to  report  that  on  the  morning  of  the  5th 
instant  my  brigade  -was  on  the  march  from  our  bivouac  in  rear  of  the 
Old  College  of  Williamsburg.  About  eight  o'clock  I  received  an  order 
from  Major-General  Longstreet  to  countermarch  and  follow  in  rear  of 
General  Wilcox's  brigade. 

My  brigade,  Captain  Bearing's  battery  leading,  was  halted  near  the 
Old  College,  and  then  ordered  to  move  toward  the  redoubts  in  front  of 
the  town  to  the  point  where  the  "  King's  Mill  "  branches  from  the  main 
road. 

In  accordance  with  directions  I  informed  Brigadier-General  Ander 
son  of  my  presence.  Within  two  hundred  yards  of  the  point  designated 
I  found  that  the  ground  immediately  in  advance  was  exactly  in  range  of 
the  enemy's  fire.  I  at  once  sent  forward  my  aide,  Lieutenant  Pickett.to 
Fort  Magruder  to  notify  General  Anderson  of  our  position.  He  directed 
me  to  remain  in  my  position,  as  he  did  not  then  need  assistance. 

Half  an  hour  later  I  received  an  order  from  General  Anderson  to 
bring  on  my  brigade  as  soon  as  possible.  Hearing  a  sharp  firing  in  the 
point  of  woods  in  front,  and  not  knowing  the  ground  to  be  suitable  for 
the  maneuvering  of  artillery,  I  ordered  Captain  Bearing  to  halt  until  I 
should  ascertain  where  he  would  be  needed. 

On  my  way  to  the  skirt  of  woods  I  met  General  Stuart,  who  pointed 
out  the  best  route.  In  a  few  moments  I  reported  to  General  Anderson. 
Learning  from  him  that  the  battery  in  Fort  Magruder  had  suffered 
severely,  I,  with  his  approval,  sent  back  an  order  to  Captain  Bearing  to 
take  a  section  of  his  battery  to  its  relief.  The  order  was  promptly  ex 
ecuted. 

General  Anderson  directed  me  to  take  my  brigade  into  the  woods  to 
the  right  of  the  point  at  which  General  Wilcox  had  first  entered,  and 
•where  General  Hill  with  his  brigade  had  also  gone  in  to  his  assistance. 
The  object  was  to  extend  well  to  the  right  and,  if  possible,  turn  the  left 
flank  of  the  enemy.  I  had  scarcely  filed  in  with  the  Eighth  Virginia 
when  I  was  recalled.  I  gave  the  necessary  directions  to  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Berkeley  commanding  the  Eighth,  and  upon  reaching  the  edge 
of  the  woods  was  ordered  to  move  the  other  three  regiments  to  the  front 
where  our  forces  were  hotly  engaged.  Thus  the  Eighth  was  separated 
from  its  brigade  during  the  action. 


A  T  YORKTO  WN  AND  WILLIAM  SB  URG.  1 59 

The  Eighteenth,  followed  by  the  Nineteenth  and  Twenty-eighth,  re 
lieved  a  portion  of  Wilcox's  brigade,  which  had  suffered  severely.  We 
drove  back  the  enemy  in  front  to  a  very  strong  position  of  felled  trees 
forming  a  perfect  abatis.  Here  I  placed  the  Eighteenth,  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Carrington,  in  line,  and  the  Nineteenth,  Colonel  Strange,  on  its 
left.  As  the  ground  on  the  left  of  this  regiment  was  occupied  by  the 
Nineteenth  Mississippi  Regiment,  Colonel  Mote,  and  the  Seventeenth 
Virginia,  Colonel  Corse,  I  placed  the  Twenty-eighth  slightly  in  rear  as 
a  reserve  for  the  Eighteenth  and  Nineteenth. 

From  the  movements  of  the  enemy  at  this  time  I  judged  that  they 
were  very  strongly  reinforced.  They  advanced  to  within  thirty  or  forty 
yards  of  our  position,  cheering  and  opening  a  most  severe,  well-directed 
and  determined  fire  along  the  front  of  the  Eighteenth  and  the  right  of  the 
Nineteenth,  which  regiments  maintained  their  ground,  returning  the  fire 
with  most  telling  effect.  This  deadly  work  was  kept  up  half  an  hour 
without  cessation  or  giving  way  on  either  side.  Then,  from  the  renewed 
cheering  and  the  clear  ringing  of  their  guns,  I  think  the  enemy  was  again 
reinforced. 

Fearing  that  our  men  were  wasting  their  ammunition,  I  consulted 
with  Lieutenant-Colonel  Carrington  and,  finding  that  he  had  no  field-of 
ficer,  told  him  to  use  his  utmost  endeavors  on  the  right  of  his  regiment 
to  prevent  his  men  from  throwing  away  a  shot,  while  I  would  personally 
superintend  the  execution  of  the  order  on  the  left,  and  pass  it  on  to  the 
Nineteenth.  While  endeavoring  to  do  so,  much  to  my  surprise  I  found 
the  whole  line  from  right  to  left  abandoning  our  dearly  bought  position 
and  falling  back  through  the  woods.  Some  one,  it  appears,  had  passed 
down  an  order  from  the  right  of  the  line  to  fall  back.  I  let  them  know 
at  once  that  this  was  false,  that  no  such  order  had  been  given,  and  none 
should  be  given  by  me.  In  a  few  minutes,  with  the  valuable  assistance 
of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Gantt  and  my  aides,  Lieutenants  Baird  and 
Pickett,  they  were  stopped  in  time  to  prevent  a  great  disaster.  They 
moved  forward  to  their  place,  all  coming  up  gallantly  with  a  cheer. 

The  Twenty-eighth  relieved  the  Eighteenth,  its  ammunition  being 
low,  and  Lieutenant-Colonel  Carrington  fell  to  the  rear  a  sufficient  dis 
tance  partially  to  refill  his  cartridge-boxes  from  the  knapsacks  of  the 
enemy's  dead.  I  sent  a  courier  to  the  major-general  commanding  to  in 
form  him  that  we  were  in  want  of  ammunition. 

I  met  the  gallant  and  lamented  Colonel  Irby  with  four  companies  of 
the  Eighth  Alabama  Regiment  of  General  Pryor's  brigade,  who  reported 
to  me  for  duty.  I  directed  him  to  move  slightly  to  the  right  of  where 
the  Eighteenth  had  been.  He  rushed  on  eagerly  at  the  head  of  his  men, 


160  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

^ 

and  coming  close  on  to  a  party  of  the  enemy,  was  about  to  fire,  wheQ 
they  called  out,  "We  are  friends;  don't  fire!"  at  the  same  time  holding 
up  their  hands.  While  partially  turning  to  caution  his  men  not  to  fire, 
the  brave  colonel,  with  many  of  his  men,  was  killed  by  a  volley  poured 
in  by  the  accomplished  cowards.  When  the  fire  was  returned  at  such 
short  range  they  fled  in  mad  haste.  I  ordered  Colonel  Irby's  body  to 
be  immediately  carried  from  the  field. 

About  this  time  reinforcements  came  up  from  Colston's  and  Pryor's 
brigades.  Upon  consultation  with  Generals  Hill  and  Pryor,  a  general 
charge  along  the  whole  line  was  determined  on,  and  I  moved  to  the  right 
to  look  after  the  Eighth  Regiment.  At  the  moment  of  the  charge  the 
enemy  on  the  right,  who  had  been  silent  for  some  time,  appeared  again 
in  numbers,  but  were  gallantly  repulsed  and  driven  from  the  field  by  the 
Eighth  Regiment  of  my  brigade,  and  the  Fourteenth  Louisiana  Regiment 
of  Pryor's  brigade.  The  Nineteenth,  supported  by  the  Eighteenth,  cap 
tured  a  battery  and  a  number  of  prisoners. 

By  order  of  General  Wilcox  the  Twenty-eighth  advanced  at  a  charge 
over  an  open  space  in  front  of  the  captured  battery  under  a  heavy  fire, 
still  driving  the  enemy  before  them.  Colonel  Allen,  of  the  Eighteenth, 
was  for  a  few  moments  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  but  was  rescued 
by  his  own  presence  of  mind  and  the  timely  assistance  of  some  of 
bis  men. 

Shortly  after  this  I  reported  in  person  to  the  major-general  com 
manding,  and  received  instructions  from  him  about  bringing  off  our 
wounded  and  retiring  after  dark.  These  instructions  I  communicated 
to  all  the  brigadier-generals  except  General  Pryor,  whom  I  failed  to  find 
because  of  the  darkness  and  smoke.  I  dispatched  messengers,  however, 
to  notify  him. 

The  gallantry  and  energy  exhibited  by  both  officers  and  men  can  not 
be  too  highly  commended.  After  difficult  night  marches,  through 
drenching  rains,  with  but  scanty  rations,  they  met  enemies  well  fed,  su 
perior  in  numbers,  better  armed,  better  equipped,  and  well  posted,  and 
drove  them  a  mile  during  the  engagement.  I  take  pleasure  in  stating  to 
the  major-general  commanding  that  their  confidence  in  their  own  abil 
ity  and  their  cause  is  redoubled  since  this  action. 

The  ground  in  front  of  the  Eighteenth  and  Nineteenth  was  literally 
covered  with  dead.  The  color-bearer  of  the  Eighteenth  (Sergeant  Solon 
A.  Boston)  was  shot  down  while  gallantly  waving  the  standard  in  front 
of  the  regiment,  leading  it  to  the  charge. 

I  can  not  close  without  expressing  my  appreciation  of  the  prompt 
ness  of  the  regimental  commanders  and  Lieutenant-Colonel  Gantt  in 


A  T  YORKTO  WN  AND  WILLIAMSB  URG.  1 6 1 

carrying  out  orders  and   the  ability  they  evinced  in   conducting  their 
regiments  when  separated  from  me. 

I  take  pleasure  in  calling  attention  to  the  efficient  service  rendered  to 
my  own  brigade,  as  well  as  to  others,  by  the  gallant  Captain  Manning, 
aide-de-camp  to  the  major-general  commanding.  To  my  personal  staff, 
Captain  Croxton  and  Lieutenants  Baird  and  Pickett,  I  am  much  indebted 
for  the  continuous  and  arduous  duties  they  performed  under  a  most 
galling  fire.  Having  been  sent  with  an  order,  Captain  Croxton  was  with 
General  Pryor  and  Lieutenant-Colonel  Berkeley,  of  the  Eighth,  during 
the  early  part  of  the  engagement.  These  gentlemen  speak  of  the  great 
assistance  which  he  rendered  them.  I  respectfully  call  the  attention  of 
the  major-general  commanding  to  those  specially  mentioned  by  their 
colonels  in  regimental  reports. 

I  must  also  mention  the  dastardly  subterfuges  of  an  enemy  professing 
to  be  civilized,  such  as  raising  a  white  flag  and  pretending  to  surrender 
in  order  to  stop  our  fire,  to  allow  their  reinforcements  to  come  up  and 
enable  them  to  pour  in  deadly  volleys  upon  an  honorable  and  too  un 
suspicious  foe. 

Our  loss  was  severe:  Officers  killed,  two;  enlisted  men  killed, 
twenty-four;  officers  wounded,  nine;  enlisted  men  wounded,  one  hundred 
and  twenty-nine;  officers  missing,  one;  enlisted  men  missing,  twenty-five. 
Total  killed,  wounded  and  missing,  one  hundred  and  ninety.  The  brigade 
entered  the  action  with  fifteen  hundred  and  twenty-nine  muskets.  Ac 
companying  is  a  full  list  of  casualties. 

I  am,  Captain,  very  respectfully,  your  most  obedient  servant, 

G.  E.  PICKETT, 

To  CAPTAIN  G.  M.  SORREL,  Brigadier-General  Commanding. 

Assistant  Adjutant-General. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

SEVEN  PINES. 

The  June  roses  were  in  bloom  when  the  battle  of  Seven 
Pines,  May  31  and  June  I,  was  fought.  There  were  never 
before  such  wonderful  June  roses  as  those  which  glorified 
the  gardens  of  the  South  in  that  blood-stained  summer. 
It  seemed  as  if  the  crimson  of  all  the  battle-fields  of  that 
ensanguined  year  had  concentrated  in  the  royal  red  of 
their  velvet  petals,  and  the  spirit  of  devotion  and  patriotic 
ardor  had  breathed  a  new  fragrance  into  their  glowing 
hearts.  They  brought  a  world  of  comfort  to  the  wounded 
men,  lying  helpless  on  couches  of  pain. 

The  name  of  this  rose-time  battle  is  different  with  the 
two  armies  —  being  called  by  the  Federal  troops  "Fair 
Oaks,"  from  a  little  railway-station  of  that  name  near 
which  it  was  fought,  and  by  the  Confederates  "Seven 
Pines,"  from  a  neighboring  group  of  pine-trees.  By  this 
latter  name  it  is  always  known  in  the  common  parlance 
of  the  country. 

The  fighting  occurred  at  the  intersection  of  the  Seven- 
Mile  Williamsburg  road  and  the  Nine-Mile  road,  while 
"Fair-Oaks,"  where  there  was  only  a  skirmish  with  the 
rear  guard,  in  which  the  Federal  troops  were  victorious, 
is  on  the  northern  side  of  the  York  River  Railroad,  and  to 
the  left  of  "  Seven  Pines."  But  for  the  adverse  direction 
of  the  wind  there  would,  in  all  probability,  never  have 
been  any  dispute  as  to  the  final  results  of  "Seven  Pines" 
or  "  Fair  Oaks." 

By  the  25th  of  May  the  left  wing  of  the  Federal  army, 

162 


SEVEN  PINES.  163 

comprising  the  corps  of  Heintzelman  and  Keyes,  had 
crossed  the  Chickahominy.  McClellan  was  trying  to 
bridge  the  stream  for  the  crossing  of  his  artillery,  an  ef 
fort  greatly  impeded  by  the  heavy  rains  which  carried 
the  bridges  away  as  fast  as  they  could  be  constructed. 

Sumner,  Franklin  and  Porter  extended  their  troops  on 
the  east  bank  along  a  line  of  eighteen  miles.  Johnston's 
design  was  to  attack  Heintzelman  and  Keyes  as  soon  as 
they  should  be  far  enough  removed  from  the  rest  of  the 
army  to  make  such  a  movement  practicable. 

On  the  morning  of  the  3<Dth  a  reconnoitering  party  un 
der  General  Garland  reported  indications  of  the  presence 
of  at  least  a  corps  of  Federals  west  of  Seven  Pines.  Gen 
eral  Johnston  seems  to  have  made  the  mistake  of  underes 
timating  the  strength  of  the  force  which  he  was  about  to 
attack,  it  consisting  of  two  corps  instead  of  one,  as  he 
supposed.  In  the  evening  he  issued  the  following  com 
mands: 

HEADQUARTERS  DEPARTMENT  OF  NORTHERN  VIRGINIA, 
MAJOR-GENERAL  G.  W.  SMITH.  May  30,  9:15  P.M. 

GENERAL  :  If  nothing  prevents,  we  will  fall  upon  the  enemy  in  front 
of  Major-General  Hill  (who  occupies  the  position  on  the  Williamsburg 
road  from  which  your  troops  moved  to  the  neighborhood  of  Meadow 
Bridge)  early  in  the  morning  —  as  early  as  practicable.  The  Chicka 
hominy  will  be  passable  only  at  the  bridge,  a  great  advantage  to  us. 
Please  be  ready  to  move  by  the  Gaines  road,  coming  as  early  as  possi 
ble  to  the  point  at  which  the  road  to  New  Bridge  turns  off.  Should 
there  be  cause  for  haste,  Major-General  McLaws,  on  your  approach,  will 
be  ordered  to  leave  his  ground  for  you,  that  he  may  reinforce  General 
Longstreet.  Most  respectfully  your  obedient  servant, 

J.  E.  JOHNSTON. 

HEADQUARTERS  DEPARTMENT  OF  NORTHERN  VIRGINIA. 
MAJOR-GENERAL  HUGER.  May  30,  1862,  8:30  P.M. 

GENERAL:  The  reports  of  Major-General  D.  H.  Hill  give  me  the 
impression  that  the  enemy  is  in  considerable  strength  in  his  front.  It 


1 64  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

seems  to  me  necessary  that  we  should  increase  our  force  also;  for  that 
object  I  wish  to  concentrate  the  troops  of  your  division  on  the  Charles 
City  road,  and  to  concentrate  the  troops  of  Major-General  Hill  on  the 
Williamsburg  road.  To  do  this  it  will  be  necessary  for  you  to  move, 
as  early  in  the  morning  as  possible,  to  relieve  the  brigade  of  General 
Hill's  division  now  on  the  Charles  City  road.  I  have  desired  General 
Hill  to  send  you  a  guide.  The  road  is  the  second  large  one  diverging  to 
the  right  from  the  Williamsburg  road.  The  first  turns  off  near  the  toll- 
gate.  On  reaching  your  position  on  the  Charles  City  road,  learn  at 
once  the  route  to  the  main  roads,  to  Richmond  on  your  right  and  left, 
especially  those  to  the  left,  and  try  to  find  guides.  Be  ready  if  an  ac 
tion  should  begin  on  your  left,  to  fall  upon  the  enemy's  left  flank. 

Most  respectfully  your  obedient  servant, 
%  J.  E.  JOHNSTON. 

P.  S. — It  is  necessary  to  move  very  early. 

Longstreet  received  instructions  to  form  his  own  and 
Hill's  division  in  two  lines  at  right  angles  across  the 
Williamsburg  road  and  attack  in  that  order.  Huger  was 
to  come  down  the  Charles  City  road,  attacking  the  enemy 
on  the  left  as  soon  as  the  engagement  in  front  should  be 
on.'  Smith  was  to  prevent  the  passage  of  the  enemy 
across  the  river  to  assist  Heintzelman  and  Keyes.  Should 
no  such  occasion  arise,  he  was  to  attack  the  right  of  the 
forces  engaged  with  Longstreet. 

A  violent  storm  of  the  3Oth  had  flooded  the  level 
ground,  and  Longstreet  was  delayed  by  the  necessity  of 
constructing  a  bridge  at  Gillis  Creek.  This  difficulty  sur 
mounted  he  reached  position  at  nine  o'clock  and  waited 
with  Hill  for  the  arrival  of  the  troops  from  Norfolk,  who 
had  been  manning  the  defenses  of  that  city. 

At  two  o'clock  Longstreet's  division,  with  Hill's, 
marched  toward  the  enemy,  meeting  the  advanced  troops 
at  three  o'clock  and  driving  them  back  to  the  first  line  of 
Keyes's  corps  —  Casey's  division.  Here  a  vigorous  fight 
took  place  and  the  Federals  fell  back  to  the  second  line, 
the  division  of  Couch  at  Seven  Pines.  The  entire  corps  of 


SEVEN  PINES.  165 

Keyes  was  broken  and  driven  from  its  ground,  most  of 
them  along  Williamsburg  road  to  Heintzelman's  line  and 
two  brigades  into  White  Oak  swamp. 

In  the  meantime,  Johnston  had  left  the  control  to 
Longstreet  and  Hill,  and  had  gone  to  the  Nine-Mile 
road  to  watch  for  reinforcements  which  might  be  sent 
to  the  Unionists  from  beyond  the  Chickahominy.  He 
had  supposed  that  the  sound  of  the  musketry  at  the 
opening  of  the  action  would  be  audible  from  that  point. 
By  some  fatality,  the  wind  carried  the  sound  away  from 
him,  only  four  miles  distant  from  the  scene  of  action, 
and  bore  it  to  McClellan,  lying  ill  ten  miles  away,  who 
recognized  the  situation  and  sent  Sumner  forward  to  Fair 
Oaks. 

Johnston,  with  Smith  and  Whiting,  was  to  have  made 
an  attack  upon  the  Federals'  right  simultaneously  with 
Longstreet's  advance,  but  was  prevented  by  his  failure 
to  catch  the  reports  of  the  musketry  fire  until  it  was  too 
late  to  co-operate  fully.  He  then  sent  Smith  forward 
along  the  Nine-Mile  road.  The  Sixth  North  Carolina, 
being  in  advance,  encountered  the  Federal  skirmishers 
and  drove  them  back.  As  Johnston  rode  on  with  Hood's 
brigade,  he  stopped  near  Fair  Oaks  to  witness  a  contest 
between  Smith  and  a  body  of  Federal  infantry  supported 
by  a  battery,  but  supposing  that  Smith  was  able  to  hold 
his  ground,  he  sent  Hood  on  to  join  Longstreet  and  attack 
the  right  flank  of  the  Federals.  General  Couch  had  gone 
toward  Fair  Oaks  to  attack  the  Confederate  left  when  he 
was  met  by  Smith  and  Johnston. 

At  4.30  General  Sumner  arrived  at  Fair  Oaks  with 
Sedgwick's  division  and  Kirby's  battery,  having  suc 
ceeded  in  crossing  the  river  on  two  bridges  not  yet  com 
pleted.  Here  he  was  attacked  by  Smith  with  Hampton's, 
Pettigrew's  and  Hatton's  brigades.  Smith  was  repulsed, 


1 66  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

Hatton  killed,  Pettigrew  wounded  and  taken  prisoner, 
and  Hampton  wounded. 

While  the  battle  yet  continued  darkness  came  to  force 
a  truce.  Johnston  ordered  his  troops  to  sleep  on  their 
lines  to  be  ready  for  the  morning.  Shortly  after  seven 
he  was  slightly  wounded  by  a  musket-shot.  A  little  later 
he  observed  that  one  of  his  colonels  was  trying  to  dodge 
the  shells.  He  turned  toward  him  and  said,  "Colonel, 
there  is  no  use  dodging;  when  you  hear  them  they  have 
passed."  Just  then  a  shell  exploded,  striking  him  on  the 
breast,  and  he  fell  unconscious  into  the  arms  of  one  of  his 
couriers,  Drury  L.  Armistead.  When  he  regained  con 
sciousness  he  found  that  his  sword  and  pistols  were  gone. 
"The  sword  was  one  worn  by  my  father  in  the  Revo 
lutionary  War,"  he  said,  "and  I  would  not  lose  it  for  ten 
thousand  dollars;  will  not  some  one  please  go  back  and 
get  it  and  my  pistols  for  me?"  Armistead  returned  to 
the  field,  found  them  and  carried  them  safely  off  through 
a  storm  of  artillery,  receiving  one  of  the  pistols  as  a  token 
of  the  gratitude  of  the  wounded  chief.  The  pistols  had 
been  presented  to  Johnston  by  the  inventor,  Colonel  Colt. 
Johnston  was  so  severely  wounded  that  he  was  not  able 
to  return  to  the  service  until  the  following  November,  a 
serious  loss  to  the  Confederacy,  as  few  have  equaled  him 
in  military  skill  and  sagacity,  in  high  soldierly  qualities, 
and  in  the  art  of  winning  the  hearts  of  his  fellow  soldiers. 

The  command  passed  temporarily  to  General  G.  W. 
Smith,  as  the  next  in  rank,  to  be  soon  succeeded  by  Gen 
eral  R.  E.  Lee.  Smith,  a  short  time  later,  resigned  his 
commission  and  went  to  Georgia. 

Hill  spent  the  night  of  the  3ist  in  the  comfortable  tent 
of  Casey,  surrounded  by  the  luxuries  which  that  officer 
had  selected  more,  perhaps,  with  reference  to  his  own 
tastes  than  to  those  of  a  Confederate  leader.  In  war 


SE  VEN  PINES.  1 67 

times,  however,  there  are  certain  crises  in  which  a  soldier 
is  not  inclined  to  be  fastidious,  and  if  a  few  of  Hill's  pet 
fancies  had  been  neglected  he  did  not  complain. 

The  next  day  was  spent  by  Longstreet  in  fighting 
along  the  Williamsburg  road. 

On  this  day  Pickett's  brigade  played  an  important  and 
gallant  part,  an  account  of  which  may  be  best  given  in 
Pickett's  report  to  General  Johnston: 

SIR:  On  the  afternoon  of  May  31,  1862,  just  as  the  battle  of  Seven 
Pines  was  being  opened  by  Major-General  Longstreet,  I  was  directed 
by  that  officer  to  move  with  my  brigade  to  the  York  Railroad  bridge, 
cover  the  same,  repel  any  advance  of  the  enemy  up  that  road,  and  hold 
myself  in  readiness  to  move  to  the  support  of  our  advance,  if  needed. 
About  9  P.M.  I  received  orders  from  General  Longstreet  to  march  my 
brigade  at  daylight  and  report  to  Major-General  D.  H.  Hill,  at  or  near 
Seven  Pines.  I  moved  accordingly,  and  found  General  Hill  at  General 
Casey's  late  headquarters,  just  in  rear  of  the  enemy's  redoubt. 

My  brigade  had  marched  on  some  four  hundred  yards  in  advance  of 
this  point  when  it  was  there  halted.  General  Hill  directed  me  to  ride  over 
to  the  railroad  and  communicate  with  Brigadier-General  Hood,  whose 
right  was  resting  on  that  road.  I  asked  General  Hill  where  the  enemy 
were.  He  said  they  were  some  distance  in  advance;  I  had  no  definite 
idea  where,  as  I  saw  none,  and  had  not  time  to  examine  the  position  or 
the  nature  of  the  ground. 

With  two  of  my  staff-officers,  Captains  Pickett  and  Archer,  I  pro 
ceeded  through  the  undergrowth  and  thickets  toward  the  railroad  some 
four  hundred  yards,  when  I  was  met  by  a  part  of  the  Louisiana  Zouaves 
(who  had  evidently  been  on  a  plundering  expedition),  rustling  past  me  at 
a  most  headlong  speed.  I  seized  on  one  fellow  who  was  riding  a  mule 
with  a  halter,  and  detained  him  for  explanation.  He  said  the  enemy 
were  within  a  few  yards  of  us,  and  entreated  me  to  let  him  save  himself. 

I  immediately  rode  back  with  him  at  a  gallop,  and  as  briefly  as  pos 
sible  informed  General  Hill  of  the  circumstances.  He  ordered  me  to  at 
tack,  and  I  supposed  the  same  order  was  given  to  the  other  brigade  com 
manders.  I  rejoined  my  brigade  at  once  and,  by  a  change  of  front  for 
ward,  put  it  in  line  of  battle  nearly  perpendicular  to  the  railroad  and 
advanced,  Armistead  on  my  left,  Pryor  and  Wilcox  (the  latter  I  did  not 
see,  but  heard  he  was  there)  on  my  right. 


1 68  PICKET y  AND  HIS  MEN.       . 

Within  a  short  distance  we  struck  the  enemy,  who  opened  heavily 
on  us,  drove  him  through  an  abatis,  over  a  cross-road  leading  to  the  rail 
road,  and  was  advancing  over  a  second  abatis  when  I  discovered  that 
Armistead's  brigade  had  broken,  and  were  leaving  the  field  pell-mell. 
At  this  moment  I  was  on  foot  and  half-way  across  the  abatis,  the  men 
moving  on  beautifully  and  carrying  everything  before  them.  I  could 
scarcely  credit  my  own  eyes  on  witnessing  this  misfortune  on  my  left.  I 
immediately  rode  to  that  part  of  the  field  and  found  nothing  between  me 
and  the  railroad  except  the  gallant  Armistead  himself  with  a  regimental 
color  and  some  thirty  persons,  mostly  officers. 

I  saw  our  danger  at  once,  and  despatched  a  courier  to  General  Hill 
asking  for  more  troops  to  cover  the  vacuum.  Receiving  no  reply,  and 
the  enemy  pressing  forward  in  force,  brigade  after  brigade,  and  threat 
ening  my  left  flank,  I  threw  back  the  left  wing  of  the  Nineteenth  Virginia, 
the  left  regiment,  so  as  to  oppose  a  front  to  them,  despatched  a  staff- 
officer  to  General  Hill  with  a  request  for  troops,  and  after  awhile  sent  a 
second  despatch,  similarly  worded. 

As  a  matter  of  course,  from  having  been  the  attacking  party,  I  now  had 
to  act  on  the  defensive.  Fortunately,  the  enemy  seemed  determined  on 
attacking  and  carrying  my  front  and  driving  me  out  of  the  abatis,  which 
our  men  succeeded  in  preventing,  though  with  considerable  loss. 

About  this  time  I  learned  that  Pryor's  brigade  was  being  withdrawn 
from  my  right.  I  had,  in  the  meantime,  sent  all  my  staff  and  couriers 
back  to  General  Hill,  the  last  message  being  that  if  he  would  send  more 
troops  and  some  ammunition  to  me  we  would  drive  the  enemy  across  the 
Chickahominy.  I  have  always  believed  this  would  have  been  done  but 
for  the  misfortune  which  happened  to  our  general  on  the  previous  even 
ing.  Had  he  not  been  wounded,  but  on  the  field  with  us,  the  result  would 
have  been  entirely  different. 

I  do  not  mean  to  cast  any  blame  on  the  brave  and  heroic  Hill,  for 
after  the  fall  of  the  master-spirit  there  seemed  to  be  no  head,  and  Hill, 
I  know,  was  bothered  and  annoyed  with  countermanding  orders.  No 
assisiance,  no  demonstration  was  given  or  made  from  the  other  side  of 
the  railroad.  A  most  perfect  apathy  seemed  to  prevail.  Not  a  gun 
ivas  fired,  and  I  subsequently  learned  from  Brigadier-General  Hood 
that  he  saw  the  enemy  pouring  his  forces  across  the  railroad,  not 
more  than  six  or  eight  hundred  yards  in  his  front,  and  concentrating 
their  attack  on  me,  and  that  one  piece  of  artillery  placed  in  the  rail 
road  cut  would  have  stopped  this  and  drawn  their  attention  to  his  front. 
But  he  said  he  had  instructions  to  make  no  movement,  but  to  zvait  for 
orders.  A  forward  movement  then  by  the  left  wing  of  our  army  would 


SEVEN  PINES.  169 

have  struck  the  enemy  in  flank  and  at  any  rate  have  stopped  their  con 
centration. 

At  this  perilous  juncture,  hearing  nothing  from  General  Hill,  I  rode 
as  rapidly  as  possible  to  him,  and  explained  as  laconically  as  I  could  the 
position  of  affairs.  He  asked  me  if  I  could  not  withdraw  my  brigade.  I 
said  yes,  but  I  did  not  wish  to  do  so;  that  I  would  leave  all  my  wounded, 
lose  many  more  men,  and  that  the  enemy  would  pour  down  on  the  dis 
organized  mass,  as  he  himself  termed  the  troops  about  him.  He  then 
sent  two  regiments  of  Colston's,  which  Captain  Pickett  put  in  position 
on  my  left,  and  asked  me  to  take  Mahone's  brigade  and  put  it  on  my 
right,  which  was  done,  Mahone  becoming  hotly  engaged  a  few  moments 
after  getting  in  position. 

I  had  ordered  my  men,  as  far  as  possible,  to  reserve  their  fire. 
From  that  circumstance,  I  suppose,  and  from  the  fact  that  the  enemy 
had  become  aware  of  the  small  force  actually  opposed  to  them,  a  brigade 
debouched  from  the  piece  of  woods  in  my  front  and  moved  steadily  toward 
my  left  flank.  They  came  up  to  within  short  range,  when  their  com 
mander,  seeing  his  men  about  to  commence  firing,  stopped  them  and 
called  out,  "  What  troops  are  those?"  Some  of  our  men  shouted,  "Vir 
ginians!"  He  then  cried  out,  "Don't  fire!  —  they'll  surrender;  we'll 

capture  all  these Virginians!"  Scarcely  were  the  words  uttered 

when  the  Nineteenth  and  the  left  of  the  Eighteenth  rose  in  the  abatis  and 
poured  a  withering  volley  into  them,  killing  their  commanding  officer, 
and  literally  mowing  down  their  ranks.  Just  then  Colston's  regiments 
came  up  on  the  left  and  Mahone  on  the  right.  The  enemy  retreated  to 
their  bosky  cover  and  their  fire  immediately  slackened.  No  other  at 
tempt  was  made  by  them  to  advance,  and  about  i  P.M.  (I  judge),  by 
General  HilVs  order,  I  withdrew  the  ic'holc  of  our  front  line,  Pryor 
and  Wilcox  and  some  other  troops  I  do  not  remember  being  in  position 
some  four  hundred  yards  in  our  rear.  We  withdrew  in  perfect  order. 
Not  a  gun  was  fired  at  us,  and  we  brought  off  all  our  wounded. 

This  was  the  conclusion  of  the  battle  of  Seven  Pines.  No  shot  was 
fired  afterward.  Our  troops  occupied  the  same  ground  that  evening, 
June  i,  and  that  night  which  they  had  held  on  the  previous  night.  Gen 
eral  Mahone  and  his  brigade  occupied  the  redoubt,  and  our  line  of  pick 
ets  was  thrown  out  well  in  advance.  I  know  this  of  my  own  personal 
knowledge,  for  General  Hill  sent  for  me  about  one  o'clock  at  night  or, 
rather,  morning  of  June  2,  and  I  went  to  the  redoubt  in  search  of  him, 
and  still  further  on  toward  our  picket-line. 

General  Hill  gave  me  special  orders  to  cover  the  withdrawal  of  the 
troops  with  my  brigade,  which,  by  the  way,  proved  a  much  easier  task 


I7O  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.      • 

than  I  had  anticipated.  I  had  formed  my  line  of  battle,  two  regiments, 
on  each  side  of  the  road,  some  little  distance  in  rear  of  the  redoubt. 
Half  an  hour  after  sunrise  the  whole  of  our  force  had  filed  past.  I  then 
leisurely  moved  off,  not  an  enemy  in  sight,  nor  even  a  puff  of  smoke. 

My  brigade  consisted  of  the  Eighth  Virginia,  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Berkeley;  Eighteenth,  Colonel  Withers;  Nineteenth,  Colonel  Strange; 
Twenty-eighth,  Colonel  Walter.  Aggregate,  seventeen  hundred.  Loss 
three  hundred  and  fifty  killed  and  wounded.  No  prisoners. 

Very  respectfully, 

(Signed)     G.  E.  PICKETT, 
To  GENERAL  Jos.  E.  JOHNSTON.  Brigadier-General. 

This  battle  brought  the  war  closer  to  me  than  any 
other  had  yet  done.  The  school  had  closed  and  my 
vacation  was  just  beginning.  I  could  not  return  to  my 
home,  which  was  within  the  Federal  lines,  and  my  mother 
had  accepted  an  invitation  for  me  from  friends  in  Rich 
mond. 

The  library  and  parlors  of  the  beautiful  home  of  my 
friends  had  been  given  up  for  the  comfort  of  the  wounded 
soldiers.  The  city  was  in  tears;  the  horrors  of  .war  had 
become  a  reality.  Busy,  bustling,  sad  enough  scenes 
were  being  enacted  on  every  side.  New  regiments  from 
the  far  South  had  but  just  arrived  and  were  marching 
through  the  streets,  cheering  and  waving  their  hats  as 
they  passed.  Batteries  of  artillery  were  hurrying  along 
the  thoroughfares,  all  going  toward  the  front,  down  Main 
and  Broad  streets  into  the  Williamsburg  road.  Long 
lines  of  ambulances  coming  from  the  opposite  way  toiled 
slowly  along,  filled  with  the  wounded  from  the  battle-field 
who  were  being  carried  to  the  various  hospitals,  the  long, 
torturing  way  marked  by  the  trail  of  blood  that  oozed 
drop  by  drop  from  human  veins.  Here  and  there  might 
be  seen  a  wagon-load  of  dead,  piled  one  upon  another, 
their  stiffened,  rigid  feet  exposed  to  view,  showing  to  the 
horrified  spectators  that  for  just  so  many  the  cares  and 


SEVEN  PINES.  I?! 

sorrows  of  this  life,  its  pains  and  miseries,  were  passed 
forever.  Every  vehicle  of  any  description  was  utilized 
and  crowded  to  its  utmost  capacity.  The  less  severely 
wounded  were  made  to  walk,  and  long  lines  of  them 
could  be  seen  hobbling  along  the  street,  their  wounds 
bound  up  in  bloody  rags. 

The  citizens  turned  out  in  full  force  and  did  all  in  their 
power  to  alleviate  the  sufferings  of  the  soldiers.  Not  a 
home  in  all  the  city  wherein  some  wounded  were  not 
taken  to  be  nursed  with  tenderest  care.  Every  possible 
space,  parlors,  passages,  and  chambers,  were  converted 
into  temporary  hospitals,  and  everything  done  that  un 
wearied  nursing  and  gentlest  attention  could  devise,  and 
that  for  the  roughest  soldier  in  the  ranks  as  readily  as  for 
the  general  who  wore  the  stars.  Women  stood  before 
their  doors  with  wine  and  food,  ministering  it  unsparingly 
to  the  wounded  going  by. 

The  Capitol  square,  the  news-mart  and  general  rendez 
vous  at  all  times  for  the  soldiers,  was  now  filled  with  offi 
cers,  privates  and  citizens,  and  many  who  were  in  doubt 
as  to  the  fate  of  some  loved  one,  turned  their  steps  to 
this  little  park  as  the  surest  and  easiest  way  of  gaining 
information.  Comrades  met  and  congratulated  each 
other  on  escape.  Citizens  were  listening  to  recitals  of  the 
battle.  Dirty,  mud-covered  soldiers,  husbands,  brothers 
and  lovers,  were  clasped  in  whitest  arms. 

The  soft-voiced  women  of  the  South  had  dauntless 
souls,  and  when  sobbing  in  agony  at  parting  they  yet 
could  murmur  with  pallid  lips  like  the  Spartan  mother 
when  handing  the  shield  to  her  son  —  "Return  with  it  or 
upon  it!" 

It  had  been  a  terrible  time  of  anxiety  to  the  people  of 
Richmond.  All  day  long  the  cannon  had  thundered  and 
roared.  With  agonized  feelings  they  had  listened  to  the 


172  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.       • 

death-sounds,  and  with  nerves  strained  to  the  highest  ten 
sion  awaited  the  results.  Not  only  did  they  have  their 
own  near  and  dear  to  think  of,  but  from  all  the  South  had 
poured  in  letters  to  friends  and  relatives,  with  the  sacred 
charge,  "care  for  and  watch  out  for  our  loved  ones  if 
wounded."  From  all  quarters  of  the  Confederacy  wives 
followed  their  husbands  to  the  scene  of  action.  Every 
available  house,  public  and  private,  was  sought  for  by  the 
refugees  in  the  city. 

To  these  strangers  in  a  strange  land  it  had  been  a  trial 
of  no  slight  moment  to  listen  to  those  death-dealing 
monsters  and  know  that  a  dear  one's  life  was  at  stake. 

Ah,  yes;  this  battle  had  thrilled  the  city  to  its  center. 
Richmond  authorities  were  unprepared  for  so  extraordi 
nary  a  call  upon  their  accommodations.  Buildings  were 
hastily  fitted  up  with  the  barest  of  comforts;  medical  and 
all  other  stores  were  inadequate  to  the  demand.  The 
doctors  were  employed  day  and  night.  The  women,  young 
and  old,  volunteered  their  services  as  nurses.  In  every 
house  soups  and  other  delicacies  were  made  for  the 
wounded.  Though  much  suffering  was  in  a  measure 
mitigated,  many  a  precious  life,  which  otherwise  might 
have  been  saved,  was  lost  for  want  of  ordinary  attention. 

For  days  and  nights  wagons  and  ambulances  never 
ceased  to  empty  their  wretched  loads  before  the  doors  of 
each  of  these  hastily  improvised  hospitals  until  the  build 
ings  overflowed  with  maimed  humanity.  There  was  not  an 
empty  store  in  which  rude  pallets  were  not  strewn  over 
the  floor  and  counter.  In  the  dressing  of  the  wounds  — 
rough  it  must  have  seemed,  in  spite  of  every  effort  to 
make  it  gentle  —  the  racking  of  quivering  nerves  passed  all 
bounds  of  patient  endurance.  Screams  of  agony  would 
sometimes  break  out  upon  the  open  air  with  startling 
emphasis. 


SEVEN  PINES.  173 

Here  was  a  poor  fellow  being  taken  from  an  ambulance, 
with  an  arm  shot  so  nearly  off  that  it  needed  only  the 
knife  to  finish  the  work;  another  with  a  mangled  leg.  It 
were  better  to  look  away  from  such  a  piteous  spectacle. 
Here  a  boy  with  his  face  so  torn  by  a  shell  that  his  mother 
would  not  have  recognized  him,  and  there,  a  dying  soldier, 
his  countenance  already  pallid  in  the  fast-coming  chill  of 
death.  "And  this  one  is  dead;  died  on  the  way,"  they 
said  as  they  lifted  a  corpse  from  the  wagon,  while  the 
passer-by,  grown  rapidly  familiar  with  such  fearful  sights, 
glanced  hastily  and  passed  on. 

So  the  long  procession  of  wounded,  nearly  five  thou 
sand,  youngboys,  middle-aged  and  white-haired  men,  from 
the  private  to  the  highest  ranks,  hurt  in  every  conceivable 
manner,  suffering  in  every  way;  parched,  feverish,  ago 
nized,  wearing  a  look  of  mute  agony  no  words  may 
describe,  or  else  lapsed  into  a  fortunate  unconsciousness, 
wended  their  way  to  the  hospitals. 

There  went  men  from  every  State,  pouring  out  blood 
like  water  and  offering  up  lives  of  sacrifice  for  the  cause 
they  had  espoused.  No  city  in  the  world  was  sadder  than 
our  Richmond  in  those  days.  All  the  miseries  and  woes 
of  Seven  Pines  had  been  emptied  into  her  fair  homes  and 
streets.  She  had  "  no  language  but  a  cry,"  an  exceedingly 
bitter  cry,  that  rose  in  its  might  to  God  on  high  "if  the 
heavens  were  not  brass." 

As  you  walked  the  streets  some  scene  to  make  the 
heart  ache  would  be  enacted  before  your  eyes.  The  dreaded 
ambulance  might  draw  up  before  some  residence  whose 
doors  would  open  to  receive  a  burden  borne  in  tenderly, 
brother,  son,  or  husband.  There  would  gather  hastily  on 
the  steps  members  of  the  family  to  receive  him,  dead  or 
hurt. 

From  some  wife,  sister,  or  mother  you  heard  words  of 


174  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

jp 

tenderest  meaning,  or  bitterest  weeping,  or  scream  of 
agony  as  you  passed  along;  or  it  might  be  that  you  caught 
only  a  look  of  mute  despair  as  if  she  had  turned  to  stone, 
for  we  take  such  things  differently,  we  women. 

Black  waved  its  sad  signal  from  door  to  door.  It  was 
no  unusual  thing  to  see  four  or  five  funeral  processions  at 
the  same  time  on  their  way  to  the  city  of  the  dead. 

People  realized  with  a  sudden  shock  the  actualities  of 
an  internecine  strife;  it  was  brought  to  their  very  doors. 
Before  they  had  seen  only  its  pride  and  pomp,  and  its 
martial  showing.  They  had  heard  only  the  rattling  of 
artillery  over  the  stony  streets,  and  the  tread  of  passing 
columns.  All  at  once,  with  the  sound  of  hostile  guns, 
gaunt,  grim-visaged  war  touched  their  hearts  and  sickened 
their  souls  with  horror. 

It  rendered  them  more  determined,  more  earnest,  more 
sincere.  It  made  them  feel  that  it  was  time  to  perform 
their  part  of  the  great  tragedy,  and  not  waste  the  hours 
in  light  comedy,  vain  regrets,  or  childish  longings.  In  one 
day  Richmond  was  changed  from  a  mirth-loving,  pleasure- 
seeking  place,  into  a  city  of  resolute  men  and  women, 
nerved  to  make  any  sacrifice  for  their  cause. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

GAINES'S    MILL. 

Lee's  army  on  June  25,  1862,  received  orders  to  cook 
three  days'  rations,  draw  eighty  rounds  of  ammunition, 
and  be  ready  to  march  at  sound  of  the  bugle. 

Richmond  at  that  time  had  but  few,  and  very  imper 
fect,  fortifications.  The  Federals  had  already  sent  up  two 
of  their  gunboats  as  far  as  Drury's  Bluff  and,  though 
they  had  been  repulsed,  great  fear  for  the  safety  of  the 
city  was  felt  by  all.  Congress,  then  in  session,  was  dis 
cussing  the  propriety  of  its  evacuation. 

Consequently,  the  success  of  the  Confederates  in  the 
battles  of  Williamsburg  and  Seven  Pines,  though  not  so 
brilliant  as  some  subsequent  ones,  was  of  great  moment 
to  them,  not  only  in  its  moral  effect,  but  in  preventing 
McClellan's  immediate  approach  to  Richmond. 

Pickett's  brigade  was  increased  after  these  battles  by 
Colonel  William  D.  Stuart's  Fifty-sixth  Virginia  Regi 
ment,  temporarily  commanded  by  its  lieutenant-colonel, 
Peyton  Slaughter.  The  regiment  was  greatly  depleted  in 
numbers,  having  belonged  to  the  Army  of  the  West,  and 
been  cut  up  at  Fort  Donelson. 

General  Joseph  E.  Johnston  was  severely  wounded  in 
the  battle  of  Seven  Pines,  and  General  Robert  E.  Lee 
for  the  first  time  personally  assumed  command  of  the 
army. 

Anxiety  was  felt  for  the  safety  of  Richmond.  Mc- 
Clellan  was  threatening  it  from  the  north  side  of  the 
Chickahominy.  Lee's  plan  was  to  send  Jackson  down 

175 


i;6  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

Iff 

the  valley  of  the  Shenandoah  toward  Washington,  attract 
ing  the  attention  of  the  Federal  forces  to  that  quarter, 
while  he  secretly  instructed  Jackson  to  co-operate  with 
him  upon  McClellan's  right  flank. 

Two  hours  before  daybreak  on  the  26th  of  June, 
Pickett's  brigade  was  ordered  out  of  its  cantonments  on 
the  Williamsburg  road,  and  before  daylight  was  on  the 
Mechanicsville  turnpike  leading  northward  out  of  Rich 
mond.  In  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day  General  A.  P. 
Hill's  division  set  in  motion  Lee's  plan  of  attack  upon 
McClellan,  crossing  the  Chickahominy  by  the  Meadow 
Bridge  road  and  Mechanicsville  turnpike,  and  capturing 
by  sundown  McClellan's  right  position  at  Mechanicsville. 

That  evening  Pickett's  brigade  crossed  the  Chicka 
hominy  and  bivouacked  on  their  arms  in  front  of  Mechan 
icsville.  Between  half  past  two  and  three  o'clock  next 
morning  the  attack  was  recommenced,  General  Lee  driv 
ing  the  Federals  before  him  till  he  reached  Ellyson's 
Mill,  a  strongly  fortified  point,  which  Lee  carried  with 
considerable  loss. 

McClellan  then  continued  his  retreat,  burning  and  de 
stroying  everything  of  any  value  that  could  not  be  carried 
away,  until  he  reached  Watts's  Farm,  a  wonderful  natural, 
as  well  as  improved,  stronghold,  known  also  by  the  names 
of  Gaines's  Mill  and  Cold  Harbor.  There  was  fought  the 
greatest  battle  of  the  war  up  to  that  time  — the  battle  of 
Gaines's  Mill,  so  called  because  a  mill  of  that  name  was 
near  the  central  point  of  attack. 

The  great  stage-painter,  Nature,  had  never  arranged 
a  more  picturesque  scene  for  a  battle  than  that  which 
was  set  for  Gaines's  Mill,  one  of  the  most  awful  contests 
of  the  Civil  War.  It  was  an  undulating  plain,  gracefully 
rising  into  gentle  swells,  crowned  by  dense  growths  of 
trees. 


G AMES'S  MILL.  1 77 

It  terminated  in  a  tall  cliff,  a  great  rounded  mass  of 
rock,  which  had  been  hurled  from  its  native  bed  so  many 
centuries  before  as  to  be  now  covered  with  a  large  forest. 
This  cliff  furnished  a  position  which  seemed  to  ensure 
victory  to  that  leader  who  should  be  so  fortunate,  or  so 
wise,  as  to  gain  this  point  of  vantage. 

It  was  here  that  General  George  B.  McClellan,  the 
astute  engineer,  brilliant  but  most  unfortunate  of  military 
leaders,  recognizing  at  once  the  natural  advantages  and 
strength  of  the  position  from  which  the  battle  was  to  be 
fought,  elected  to  make  his  stand.  The  position  was 
formidable  in  itself,  and  his  clever  corps  of  engineers 
soon  made  it  almost  impregnable. 

Directly  in  front  of  the  cliff,  separated  from  it  by  a 
deep  gorge,  was  a  low,  level  field  of  about  eight  hundred 
acres.  This  field  was  partly  covered  with  a  heavy  crop 
of  oats  which,  together  with  a  rank  natural  growth  of 
broom-sedge,  afforded  concealment  to  McClellan's  sharp 
shooters  and  lines  of  skirmishers. 

The  Confederates,  in  order  to  make  an  attack  upon  the 
stronghold  on  which  McClellan  stood  at  bay,  were  obliged 
to  advance  over  this  field,  a  distance  of  about  six  hundred 
yards,  in  direct  line  of  approach.  The  cliff  was  defended  by 
three  tiers  of  field  artillery  and  a  heavy  infantry  support. 

The  battle  was  fought  June  27,  1862.  It  was  the  turn 
ing-point  of  the  Seven  Days'  Battles  around  Richmond. 
For  months  "  On  to  Richmond"  had  been  the  war-cry  of 
the  Federals.  No  event  of  the  memorable  campaign 
which  had  followed  that  slogan  was  more  important  in 
its  results  than  this  desperate  conflict. 

Pickett's  brigade  was  ordered  to  the  front  and  formed 
in  line  of  battle  just  under  the  brow  of  the  hill,  on  the  edge 
of  the  field  with  its  luxuriant  covering  of  oats  and  sedge* 
Kemper's  brigade  was  stationed  near  Pickett's. 

12 


178  PICKET!^  AND  HIS  MEN.    . 

Jackson's  column  was  supposed  to  be  somewhere  on 
the  left,  though  as  yet  nothing  had  been  heard  from  him, 
he  having  been  delayed  by  the  obstructions  which  the 
Federals  in  passing  had  taken  the  precaution  to  put  in  his 
way.  Lee  had  given  a  general  order  to  make  an  attack 
in  front  upon  hearing  Jackson's  musketry  open  upon  the 
enemy. 

The  Federal  forces  were  under  command  of  General 
Fitz  John  Porter,  and  extended  over  two  miles,  from  the 
Chickahominy  to  Cold  Harbor.  Upon  the  dominant 
points  of  the  field  he  had  posted  sixty  cannon. 

Near  the  noon  hour  the  battle  in  all  its  fury  was  on. 
The  hills  trembled  under  the  roar  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty  pieces  of  artillery.  The  plain  was  shrouded  in 
smoke  so  dense  that  the  two  armies  were  lost  to  view. 
In  these  days  of  smokeless  powder  no  battle-field  can 
equal  those  of  the  olden  time  in  terrific  majesty  and  mys 
terious  fascination.  The  mists  which  enshroud  war,  as 
well  as  many  other  subjects,  are  gradually  passing  away, 
and  we  are  beginning  to  see  things  as  they  are. 

The  banks  of  the  chasm  which  protected  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac  in  its  strong  post  on  the  cliff  were 
lined  with  serried  ranks  awaiting  the  signal  for  action. 
Squadrons  of  troopers  were  dashing  over  the  field;  dense 
columns  of  infantry  were  rushing  madly  into  the  fray; 
the  field  was  agleam  with  the  flashing  of  bayonet  and  sword. 

Through  the  clouds  of  the  cannonade  A.  P.  Hill's 
division  charged  again  and  again  with  what  a  Northern 
writer  has  called  "a  disregard  of  death  never  surpassed." 
Out  from  the  dells  and  from  behind  the  trees  the  Federal 
reserves  rushed  forth  and  beat  them  back,  but  not  until  the 
foeman's  ranks  were  thinned  almost  to  the  point  of  break 
ing.  Not  a  gun  was  left  which  Porter  could  call  into 
service. 


GAINES'S  MILL.  l?g 

The  Federal  general,  Butterfield,  had  his  horse  shot 
from  under  him,  narrowly  escaped  a  fragment  of  shell 
that  struck  his  hat,  and  had  been  protected  from  a  mus 
ket-ball  by  his  sword,  which  was  indented  by  the  impact. 
Several  of  his  aides  had  been  killed  at  his  side.  He  con 
tinued  to  rally  his  men. 

Longstreet  was  ordered  to  threaten  the  left  and  thus 
draw  away  troops  from  the  right.  Near  sunset  Lee  sent 
word  to  Longstreet  that  "all  other  efforts  had  failed  and 
unless  he  could  do  something  the  day  was  lost,"  where 
upon  Pickett  and  Anderson  were  ordered  to  assault  and 
Kemper  was  called  as  reserve.  Whiting,  having  lost  his 
commander,  Jackson,  asked  to  be  put  into  battle  and  was 
placed  with  his  and  Hood's  brigades  on  the  left  of  Pickett 
and  Anderson. 

Pickett  directed  Withers,  colonel  of  the  Eighteenth 
Regiment,  to  throw  out  a  line  of  skirmishers  to  feel  the 
enemy.  Pickett  had  noticed  that  on  the  right  of  his  line, 
partially  concealed  in  a  clump  of  trees,  was  a  force  of  the 
Federals.  He  at  once  detached  the  Eighth  and  Eight 
eenth  Regiments  from  the  right  of  his  line,  and  advanced 
with  them  in  person  to  rout  them  from  that  point.  At 
this  time  there  was  no  appearance  or  sign  of  the  enemy 
in  his  front.  As  Pickett  moved  out  of  cover  with  the 
two  regiments,  commanded  respectively  by  Eppa  Hunton 
and  Robert  E.  Withers,  the  sudden  puffs  of  smoke  and 
simultaneous  sharp  rifle-cracks  from  the  field  of  oats  and 
sedge  revealed  to  him  that  the  enemy  were  not  only  con 
cealed  there,  but  were  watching  and  were  cognizant  of  his 
every  movement. 

Pickett  had  temporarily  charged  Colonel  Walter  Har 
rison,  whom  he  had  ordered  to  remain  behind  with  the 
three  regiments,  to  execute  at  once  the  order  of  the  com 
manding  general,  should  the  signal  to  advance  come  be- 


180  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.        * 

fore  his  return.  Pickett  had  but  just  crossed  over  when 
Major  Sorrell,  Longstreet's  adjutant-general,  brought  the 
order  to  advance. 

The  Nineteenth  Regiment,  commanded  by  Colonel 
Strange,  was  now  on  the  right,  being  the  center  of  the 
brigade.  The  Twenty-eighth,  led  by  Colonel  Robert  T. 
Preston,  was  next.  The  Fifty-sixth,  under  Colonel  Peyton 
Slaughter,  was  on  the  left.  In  this  order  the  three  regi 
ments  charged  at  double-quick  upon  the  enemy's  works, 
in  the  teeth  of  a  tempest  of  death-dealing  projectiles  of 
every  description,  across  this  field  of  oats  and  sedge. 

Pickett  simultaneously  moved  down  with  the  other 
two  regiments.  From  the  extreme  right  the  five  regi 
ments  were  again  united  in  the  center  of  the  field,  and 
charged  in  full  line  of  battle,  brigade  front,  Pickett 
leading  his  men  and  cheering  them  on.  The  skirmish 
line  was  soon  driven  in.  The  fire  from  the  Federal  bat 
teries  and  small  arms  was  something  terrific.  The  brigade 
pushed  on  —  on  through  a  continuous  rain  of  shot  and  the 
roar  of  guns. 

Whiting  says:  "The  enemy,  concealed  in  the  woods 
and  protected  by  the  ravine,  poured  a  destructive  fire 
upon  the  advancing  line  for  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  and 
many  brave  officers  and  men  fell.  Near  the  crest  in  front 
of  us  and  lying  down  appeared  the  fragments  of  a  brigade; 
men  were  skulking  from  the  front  in  a  shameful  manner; 
the  woods  on  our  left  and  rear  were  full  of  troops  in  safe 
cover,  from  which  they  never  stirred;  but  on  the  right  of 
the  Third  a  brigade  (Picket? s)  was  moving  manfully  up; 
still  further  on  the  extreme  right  our  troops  appeared  to 
be  falling  back." 

Colonel  Robert  E.  Withers,  commanding  the  Eight 
eenth  Regiment,  and  Colonel  Peyton  Slaughter,  leading 
the  Fifty-sixth,  were  shot  down  —  both  mortally  wounded 


GAINES'S  MILL.  l8l 

it  was  alleged  at  the  time.  Though  their  lives  were 
spared,  it  was  their  last  battle.  They  were  too  badly 
wounded  ever  to  return  to  the  service.  So  terrific  was 
the  fusillade,  so  incessant,  so  concentrated,  and  at  such 
close  range,  that  the  escape  of  any  one  of  them  seemed 
miraculous. 

Once  the  brave  old  brigade  wavered  under  the  heavy 
fire  upon  its  shattered,  depleted  ranks.  It  was  just  be 
fore  they  reached  the  deep  ravine,  and  then  only  for  a 
moment,  for  at  this  crisis  R.  H.  Anderson  came  up  with 
his  brave  South  Carolina  brigade.  With  the  rebel  yell 
mingling  with  the  death-sounds  and  echoing  and  rever 
berating,  these  two  brigades,  Pickett's  and  Anderson's, 
rushed  together  into  the  ravine  and  charged  the  death- 
dealing  batteries  and  infantry  that  crowned  the  cliff. 
Straight  up  they  dashed  against  a  storm  of  shot  and 
shell,  not  once  faltering  before  the  deadly  rain  that  beat 
upon  them. 

They  had  almost  reached  the  reserve  when  a  cavalry 
charge  descended  upon  them. 

Of  this  charge  the  Prince  de  Joinville,  who  was  serving 
on  the  staff  of  McClellan,  says:  "I  saw  the  troopers 
draw  their  swords  with  the  sudden  and  electrical  im 
pulse  of  determination  and  devotion.  As  they  got  into 
motion  I  asked  a  young  officer  the  name  of  his  regiment. 
'The  Fifth  Cavalry,'  he  replied,  brandishing  his  saber 
with  a  soldier's  pride  in  his  regiment.  Unfortunate  young 
man!  I  saw  the  same  regiment  the  next  day.  From  the 
charge  of  that  evening  but  two  officers  had  returned. 
He  was  not  one  of  them." 

Pickett  was  shot  from  his  horse,  leading  and  cheering 
on  his  men  —  his  shoulder  pierced  by  a  Minie-ball.  He 
paused  but  for  a  moment,  then  pressed  forward  on  foot, 
still  leading  his  brigade,  waving  his  cap  and  cheering  his 


1 82  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

men,  his  arm  hanging  limp  and  helpless  at  his  side  —  his 
well-trained,  almost  human,  battle-horse  following  as 
closely  and  circumspectly  behind  as  if  the  lame,  shot  arm, 
strong  and  well,  had  held  the  rein  and  led  him  on. 

Though  the  charge  was  repelled  the  check  had  given 
the  artillery  time  to  open  a  fire  which  for  a  time  made 
gaps  in  the  lines  of  the  assailants.  The  gunners,  however, 
soon  abandoned  their  guns  and  fled,  leaving  twenty-two 
pieces  as  Confederate  prizes.  The  horses  had  all  been 
either  killed  or  so  badly  wounded  that  they  had  to  be 
killed. 

General  Randolph,  at  that  time  the  Confederate  Sec 
retary  of  War,  who,  with  others,  viewed  the  scene  from 
an  adjacent  height,  said  that  never  on  any  battle-field 
was  there  witnessed  a  more  gallant  action  or  a  more 
glorious  sight.  He  not  only  made  special  mention  of 
General  Pickett,  paying  him  the  highest  encomiums,  but 
wrote  him  a  most  appreciative  personal  letter,  which  I 
hold  as  a  legacy  for  the  George  E.  Picketts  of  the  future. 

In  Whiting's  report  he  says:  "  In  the  meantime,  my 
division  steadily  continued  to  advance,  though  suffering 
terribly,  until  night  found  them  completely  across  the 
plateau  and  beyond  the  battle-field.  Pickett's  brigade 
had  ably  fought  on  the  right;  the  general  himself  was 
severely  wounded  in  the  charge." 

On  the  Cold  Harbor  road,  Stonewall  Jackson  had 
been  engaged  on  the  right  of  the  Federals,  and  was 
pressing  down  on  their  flank.  McClellan,  the  clever  en 
gineer,  the  clean-hearted  man  and  fearless  soldier,  fiercely 
attacked  thus  in  front  and  flank,  was  forced  from  his 
stronghold  and  driven  into  the  Chickahominy  swamp. 
Under  the  cover  of  the  darkness  he  made  his  way  out, 
which  would  have  been  impossible,  had  he  not,  with  his 
foresight  and  training  in  military  engineering,  corduroyed 


GAINES'S  MILL.  183 

and  trestle-bridged  the  otherwise  swampy  streams  and 
swales  and  bogs. 

Porter's  troops  were  saved  from  a  disorderly  rout  by 
the  valor  of  the  brigades  of  French  and  Meaghef,  who 
arrived  as  Porter  was  retreating,  and  held  the  crest  under 
a  storm  of  shells  and  balls. 

Colonel  R.  Estvan,  of  the  Confederate  cavalry,  says: 
"  A  Federal  brigade,  commanded  by  Meagher,  and  consist 
ing  chiefly  of  Irishmen,  offered  the  most  heroic  resistance. 
After  a  severe  struggle  our  men  gave  way,  and  retired  in 
great  disorder.  At  this  critical  moment,  foaming  at  his 
mouth  with  rage,  and  without  his  hat,  General  Cobb  has 
tened  up,  sword  in  hand,  with  his  legion  and  renewed  the 
attack.  But  the  efforts  of  these  troops  were  in  vain. 
The  brave  Irishmen  held  their  ground  with  a  determina 
tion  which  excited  the  admiration  even  of  our  own  offi 
cers." 

Porter's  troops,  exhausted  by  the  long  fight,  threw 
themselves  upon  the  ground  to  rest,  while  French  and 
Meagher's  heroic  six  thousand  kept  guard  in  front. 

Night  gloomed  over  the  awful  field  of  death  —  a  night 
of  horrible  darkness.  The  silence  was  no  longer  disturbed 
by  the  battle-thunder,  but  it  was  yet  more  agonizingly 
broken  by  the  sounds  of  unutterable  suffering. 

Colonel  Estvan  writes:  "In  bygone  days  I  had  been 
on  many  a  battle-field  in  Italy  and  Hungary;  but  I  confess 
that  I  never  witnessed  so  pitiable  a  picture  of  human 
slaughter  and  horrible  suffering." 

Lee  in  hot  pursuit  the  next  morning  followed  McClel- 
lan  with  his  whole  force,  including  the  remnant  of  Pick- 
ett's  brigade. 

There  could  probably  never  be  a  sadder  commentary 
on  the  horrors  of  warfare  than  the  true  history  of  the  re 
treat  of  McClellan's  army  to  the  protection  of  the  gun- 


1 84  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.       •. 

boats  on  the  James  River.  If  any  mind,  possessed  of  a 
germ  of  humanity,  could  realize  the  terrors  of  that  death- 
march,  it  would  never  again  be  able  to  contemplate  the 
possibility  of  war  without  a  shudder  of  revulsion.  All 
the  ambulances  which  could  be  obtained  were  filled  with 
wounded,  and  those  for  whom  there  was  no  place  were 
left  to  die  upon  the  field  or  by  the  roadside,  or  to  be  car 
ried  off  as  prisoners.  Gentle  death,  kinder  far  than  life, 
came  with  each  hour  to  relieve  some  sufferer  of  the  pain 
which  had  become  insupportable.  Many,  overcome  by 
the  heat,  fell  by  the  way,  raving  deliriously. 

At  the  White  House  the  retreating  army  burned  its 
stores  to  prevent  their  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  pur 
suers.  There  was  but  little  rescued  from  the  flaming  pile 
of  Federal  provisions,  and  the  only  prize  which  fell  into 
the  hands  of  the  Confederates  was  a  load  of  overcoats, 
which  they  stored  away  for  cold  weather. 

At  Savage  Station  hundreds  of  barrels  of  provisions 
were  piled  up  into  pyramids  and  devoted  to  the  flames. 
It  was  not  so  easy  to  get  rid  of  powder  and  shells  to  pre 
vent  their  being  used  against  their  former  owners.  They 
were  put  into  a  train  of  cars  and  fired  and  the  cars  sent 
on  their  flaming  way,  the  powder  and  shells  exploding 
and  sending  out  the  most  brilliant  pyrotechnic  displays, 
like  a  traveling  Fourth  of  July  celebration. 

Here  occurred  perhaps  one  of  the  saddest  scenes  of 
the  whole  war,  if  in  such  a  succession  of  horrors  there  can 
be  any  one  event  surpassing  all  the  rest  in  sorrowfulness. 
It  was  here  determined  that  the  safety  of  the  army  re 
quired  the  abandoning  of  the  sick  and  wounded.  It  was 
not  possible  to  convey  them  along  that  difficult  march, 
halting  by  the  way  to  fight  the  pursuers.  Then  followed 
parting  of  father  from  son,  of  brother  from  brother,  of 
friend  from  friend,  with  no  hope  of  any  future  meeting. 


GAINES'S  MILL.  1 85 

In  Richmond  every  hospital  was  filled  with  our 
wounded,  and  two  hundred  unfortunate  sufferers  taken 
by  Colonel  Estvan  into  the  city  were,  in  the  first  moments 
of  confusion  and  dismay,  obliged  to  be  sheltered  in  an 
open  warehouse  until  such  time  as  the  friendly  doors  of 
the  private  homes  could  be  opened  to  supplement  the 
overcrowded  hospitals. 

As  soon,  however,  as  the  good  people  of  Richmond 
realized  the  sad  condition  of  these  brave  men,  who,  in  de 
fense  of  the  beautiful  homes  in  the  capital  city,  had  suf 
fered  "hunger,  thirst,  heat,  and  faced  death  in  its  most 
fearful  form/'  they  were  unsparing  in  their  efforts  to  al 
leviate  their  miseries  and  to  give  them  every  comfort 
within  their  power. 

This  fight,  the  battle  of  Gaines's  Mill,  was  altogether 
decisive  of  McClellan's  change  of  base.  The  loss  was 
heavy,  and  nothing  but  the  courage  and  valor  of  Pickett 
and  Anderson  and  their  brave  Virginians  and  South 
Carolinians  could  have  won  the  fight. 

Hood's  gallant  Texas  brigade  distinguished  them 
selves  upon  the  right  flank  of  McClellan's  position,  but 
they  did  not  pass  over  the  bloody  field.  That  attack  in 
front  at  Gaines's  Mill  was  made  by  George  E.  Pickett's 
and  R.  H.  Anderson's  brigades  alone. 

General  Longstreet,  in  a  letter  to  General  Robert  E. 
Lee,  written  a  year  after  the  close  of  the  war,  says  of  this 
battle: 

There  is  one  portion  of  our  record  as  written  that  I  should  like  cor 
rected —  the  battle  of  Gaines's  Mill.  Your  report  of  that  battle  does  not 
recognize  the  fact  that  the  line  in  my  front,  that  is,  the  enemy's  line, 
was  broken  by  the  troops  that  were  under  my  orders  and  handling.  A 
part  of  Jackson's  command,  being  astray,  reported  to  me  just  as  I  was 
moving  my  column  of  attack  forward — Whiting's  division —  and  I  put  it 
in  my  column  of  attack,  as  stated  in  my  report.  I  think  that  you  must 
have  overlooked  my  report  on  this  point,  and  have  been  guided  by 


1 86  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.  • 

Jackson's.  Jackson  knew  nothing  of  the  matter  of  my  having  his  troops,. 
I  suppose,  and  merely  made  his  report  from  riding  over  the  ground  after 
the  battle.  I  presume  that  he  was  not  within  one  mile  of  the  division 
when  I  put  it  in,  and  had  no  idea  of  its  whereabouts.  General  Whiting 
reported  to  me  that  he  had  lost  his  way,  and  did  not  know  where  to  find 
General  Jackson,  and  offered  his  troops  if  I  had  use  for  them.  I  was 
then  moving  to  assault,  and  put  Whiting  in  a  little  behind  Pickett's 
brigade.  The  commands  made  the  assault  together,  and  broke  the 
enemy's  line.  Anderson's  brigade  followed  and  secured  it,  the  assault 
ing  columns  being  somewhat  broken  in  making  the  charge.  Just  after 
breaking  his  lines  the  enemy  made  a  severe  attack,  and  would  have  re 
covered  his  position,  I  think,  but  for  the  timely  support  of  Anderson's 
and  Kemper's  brigades  at  this  point.  Another  fact  should  not  be  lost 
sight  of  in  this  connection.  A.  P.  Hill  had  made  several  formidable  at 
tacks  at  the  same  point,  and  had  fought  manfully  against  it  for  several 
hours,  and  though  not  entirely  successful,  he  must  have  made  a  decided 
impression,  and  have  injured  the  enemy  as  much  as  he  was  himself  in 
jured,  and  thus  weakened  the  enemy's  lines  so  as  to  enable  us  to  break 
them.  It  is  quite  common  to  give  those  credit  only  who  show  results, 
but  it  frequently  happens,  as  in  this  case,  that  there  are  others  who 
merit  as  much  who  are  not  known  by  results  —  that  is,  who  are  not  seen 
by  others  than  those  on  the  ground. 

General  Pickett  was  severely  wounded,  and  was  kept 
out  of  the  field  until  September  of  that  year,  when  he 
joined  his  brigade  at  Martinsburg,  Virginia,  though  even 
then  he  was  unable  to  wear  the  sleeve  of  his  coat  upon 
that  arm. 

Immediately  upon  his  return  to  the  field  General 
Pickett  was  assigned  to  the  command  of  a  division,  and 
on  the  10th  of  October,  1862,  was  promoted  major-general. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 
FRAZIER'S  FARM. 

General  Pickett's  severe  wound  necessarily  obliging 
him  to  leave  the  field  after  the  battle  of  Gaines's  Mill, 
June  27,  1862,  the  command  of  Pickett's  brigade  devolved 
for  a  few  days  upon  Colonel  Eppa  Hunton,  of  the  Eighth 
Regiment,  in  spite  of  his  ill  health  at  that  time. 

On  the  3Oth  of  June  the  battle  of  Frazier's  Farm  (Glen- 
dale)  was  fought.  It  began  with  an  artillery  duel  between 
Jackson  and  Franklin,  during  the  progress  of  which  Long- 
street's  division  was  drawn  up  in  line  of  battle,  waiting  for 
Jackson  to  cross  the  White  Oak  swamp,  and  for  Huger 
to  come  up  along  the  Charles  City  road.  Jackson  not  be 
ing  able  to  cross  the  swamp,  and  Huger  being  detained 
down  the  road  by  Slocum's  battery,  they  did  not  reach 
the  field  as  expected. 

Hearing  the  sound  of  cannon  toward  the  Charles  City 
road,  Longstreet  supposed  that  Huger  was  approaching, 
and  returned  the  supposed  signal.  This  drew  fire  from 
the  Federal  batteries,  which  barely  missed  President  Davis, 
who  had  come  upon  the  field  to  consult  with  his  generals. 
As  the  President  was  not  prepared  to  take  an  active  part 
in  the  fight,  he  was  carried  off  with  all  possible  speed  to  a 
place  of  safety. 

Colonel  Jenkins,  with  his  battalion  of  sharpshooters, 
being  nearest  the  impetuous  battery,  was  ordered  to 
silence  it.  As  half-way  measures  did  not  lie  within  the 
possibilities  of  the  dashing  Jenkins,  he  charged  upon  and 
captured  the  offending  battery,  and  the  battle  was  opened. 

187 


1 88  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.       • 

Pickett's  brigade,  under  command  of  Hunton,  was 
brought  up  in  line  of  battle,  where  it  was  exposed  to  a 
furious  cannonade.  Hunton  becoming  separated  from 
his  command  because  of  exhaustion,  consequent  upon 
his  feeble  condition,  Colonel  John  B.  Strange,  of  the 
Nineteenth  Virginia,  took  command,  and  under  his  leader 
ship  the  brigade  charged  upon  and  captured  a  battery, 
which  was  afterward  turned  with  good  effect  upon  its 
former  owners. 

Longstreet  had  been  sustaining  the  attack  of  McCall, 
Sedgwick,  Kearny,  Slocum  and  Hooker,  in  the  expecta 
tion  that  Huger  would  attack  the  Federal  right  and  Jack 
son  come  up  in  the  rear,  while  Hill  was  to  bring  fresh 
troops  in  support.  As  neither  Jackson  nor  Huger  ap 
peared,  Hill  was  called  to  relieve  Longstreet,  and  together 
they  held  the  ground  until  night  came  to  close  the  con 
test. 

McCall  endeavored  to  recover  his  lost  ground,  but  was 
separated  from  his  command  in  the  dusk,  and  was  captured 
by  the  Forty-seventh  Virginia  Regiment,  led  by  Colonel 
Robert  Mayo.  Longstreet  says  of  this  general:  "He 
was  more  tenacious  of  his  battle  than  any  one  who  came 
within  my  experience  during  the  war,  if  I  except  D.  H. 
Hill  at  Sharpsburg." 

The  next  day,  meeting  Surgeon  Maish,  of  McCall's 
division,  who  had  remained  upon  the  field  to  tend  the 
wounded,  Longstreet  said:  "Well,  McCall  is  safe  in 
Richmond,  and  if  his  division  had  not  offered  the  stub 
born  resistance  it  did  on  this  road,  we  would  have  captured 
your  whole  army.  Never  mind;  we  will  do  it  yet." 

It  was  in  this  fight  at  Frazier's  Farm,  three  days  after 
the  battle  of  Gaines's  Mill,  in  which  General  Pickett  had 
been  wounded,  that  his  only  brother,  his  plucky,  fear 
less  assistant  adjutant-general,  Major  Charles  Pickett, 


FRAZIER'S  FARM,  189 

was  almost  fatally  wounded.  Though  Major  Pickett  nar 
rowly  escaped  death,  and  reported  for  duty  at  a  period 
far  in  advance  of  the  expectation  of  the  most  sanguine  of 
those  who  knew  of  his  terrible  wound,  he  was  made  lame 
for  life. 

Major  Pickett  and  Captain  W.  Stuart  Symington,  aide- 
de-camp,  volunteered  on  Hunton's  staff  for  the  finish  of 
the  seven  days'  fight,  notwithstanding  Pickett's  order  that 
both  should  report  to  him  in  Richmond,  as  members  of 
his  personal  staff,  which  order  they  disobeyed. 

Captain  Symington  was  the  only  officer  who  went  into 
the  battle  mounted.  His  horse  was  shot  seven  times,  and 
finally  killed  under  him. 

For  his  brave  and  meritorious  action  in  this  battle  at 
Frazier's  Farm,  Major  Charles  Pickett  received  not  only 
the  highest  praise  from  his  comrades,  but  favorable  official 
mention  from  his  ranking  officers.  In  his  report  of  the 
battle  Colonel  Strange  says: 

I  would  also  bring  to  your  notice  the  name  of  Captain  Charles  Pickett, 
assistant  adjutant-general,  who  acted  with  the  most  conspicuous  gal 
lantry,  carrying  a  flag  by  my  side  at  the  head  of  the  brigade  on  foot  (hav 
ing  lost  his  horse)  and  urging  forward  —  all  the  time  forward  —  until  shot 
down  seriously  wounded,  and  then  begging  those  who  went  to  bear  him 
off  the  field  to  leave  him  and  go  to  the  front  if  they  could  not  bear  him 
off  conveniently,  but  to  leave  him  his  flag,  which  he  still  held,  and  let 
him  die  there  under  its  folds. 

"  The  battle  the  little  major  fought  down  at  Frazier's 
Farm,"  the  soldiers  called  it  at  the  time,  and  they  still 
cherish  in  their  hearts  the  glorious  memory  of  that  bril 
liant  fight. 

Major  Pickett  was  the  best  loved  officer  in  the  brigade, 
and  every  soldier  there  would  willingly  have  followed 
him  to  death. 

Happily,  the  major  did  not  die  under  the  flag  he  so 


IQO  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

loved  that  death  would  have  been  welcome  if  sheltered 
by  its  folds.  He  yet  lives  to  gladden  the  hearts  of  his 
comrades  by  the  touch  of  his  friendly  hand  and  the  sound 
of  the  voice  which  cheered  them  on  to  valiant  deeds  in 
the  old  heroic  days. 

At  the  battle  of  Malvern  Hill  Pickett's  brigade,  with 
the  rest  of  Longstreet's  corps,  was  held  in  reserve.  This 
was  the  last  of  the  Seven  Days'  Battles,  which  had  resulted, 
as  General  Lee,  in  his  return  of  thanks  to  his  army,  July 
7,  expressed  it,  in  "the  relief  of  Richmond  from  a  state 
of  siege;  the  rout  of  the  great  army  that  so  long  menaced 
its  safety;  the  taking  of  many  thousand  prisoners,  includ 
ing  officers  of  high  rank;  the  capture  or  destruction  of 
stores  to  the  value  of  millions;  and  the  acquisition  of 
thousands  of  arms  and  forty  pieces  of  superior  artillery." 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

SECOND  MANASSAS. 

Some  one  has  said  that  the  first  battle  of  Bull  Run  gave 
such  great  satisfaction  to  the  audience  that  an  encore  was 
demanded.  The  Federal  government  prepared  for  a  suc 
cessful  repetition  of  the  piece  as  first  presented  by  assign 
ing  General  Pope  to  the  command  of  the  newly  formed 
Army  of  Virginia,  thereby  securing  his  services  as  lead 
ing  man,  and  appointing  Halieck  general-in-chief  of  the 
Federal  armies,  thus  making  him  stage-manager.  These 
preliminary  arrangements  were  completed  in  the  latter 
part  of  June,  and  near  the  close  of  August  the  cur 
tain  rose  upon  the  second  presentation  of  that  martial 
drama. 

On  the  22d  of  August,  the  dashing  Stuart  effected  his 
bold  ride  around  the  lines  of  Pope,  and  secured  the  papers 
which  revealed  to  Lee  the  intended  movements  of  his  op 
ponent,*  and  Lee's  line  of  march  was  modified  in  accord 
ance  with  that  information.  He  divided  his  army  and 
sent  part  of  it  under  Jackson  to  cut  off  Pope  from  Wash 
ington. 

Pickett's  brigade,  under  the  leadership  of  Eppa  Hun- 
ton,  was  a  part  of  Longstreet's  corps  which  held  Water 
loo  Bridge  against  Pope  while  Jackson  crossed  the  Rap- 
pahannock.  Having  safely  passed  the  river,  Jackson 

*  Among  the  articles  taken  from  Pope's  tent  was  a  sword,  belonging 
to  him.  I  have  just  this  moment  (November  24,  1898)  laid  my  hand  on 
this  weapon  —  a  reminder  of  Pope's  boasts  of  prowess  —  in  the  home 
of  my  friend,  Dr.  J.  B.  Hodgkin,  of  Virginia. 

191 


I Q2  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

% 

encamped  on  the  night  of  the  25th  near  Salem,  and  on 
the  next  day  passed  the  Bull  Run  mountains  through 
Thoroughfare  Gap  and  in  the  evening  was  at  Bristoe  Sta 
tion  between  Pope  and  the  Federal  capital.  With  him 
were  the  cavalry  brigades  of  Robertson  and  Fitzhugh  Lee, 
led  by  J.  E.  B.  Stuart.  From  here  he  sent  a  detachment 
to  capture  supplies  at  Manassas  Junction,  taking  posses 
sion  of  a  large  number  of  prisoners,  horses  and  tents,  and 
great  quantities  of  stores.  All  the  supplies  which  could 
not  be  used  were  burned.  A  force  which  was  sent  to 
recapture  them  was  repulsed,  and  their  leader,  General 
Taylor,  mortally  wounded. 

Jackson  went  on  to  Manassas  Junction  and  left  Ewell's 
division  with  the  Fifth  Virginia  Cavalry  at  Bristoe  Sta 
tion,  where  they  repelled  a  Federal  attack.  New  troops 
arriving,  it  became  evident  tha.t  Pope  had  learned  the 
situation  and  had  directed  his  whole  force  against  Jack 
son.  Ewell  then  drew  back  and  rejoined  Jackson  at 
Manassas  Junction  and  they  withdrew  west  of  the  War- 
renton  and  Alexandria  turnpike  to  unite  with  the  ap 
proaching  force  of  Longstreet. 

On  the  28th,  the  divisions  of  Hill,  Ewell  and  Taliaferro 
halted  near  the  old  battle-field  of  Bull  Run.  The  Fed 
erals,  moving  down  toward  Alexandria,  were  attacked  by 
Jackson  and  driven  back.  Among  the  wounded  were 
Major-General  Ewell,  who  lost  a  leg,  and  Brigadier- 
General  Taliaferro. 

Longstreet  had  followed  on  after  Jackson,  being  de 
tained  upon  the  way  by  demonstrations  of  Federal  cavalry, 
he  having  no  cavalry  with  which  to  reconnoiter.  When 
he  reached  Thoroughfare  Gap  he  found  it  strongly  de 
fended,  and  was  forced  to  fight  his  way  through. 

At  ten  o'clock  the  next  morning  the  Federal  artillery 
opened  upon  Jackson's  right,  the  design  being  to  destroy 


SECOND  MAN  ASS  AS.  1 93 

him  before  the  arrival  of  Longstreet.  When  that  officer 
reached  the  field  he  was  placed  on  the  right  of  Jackson. 
Pickett's  brigade  was  on  Longstreet's  right,  with  the  re 
mainder  of  Kemper's  division.  It  was  one  of  the  brigades 
supporting  the  advance  of  Hood  and  Evans,  which  re 
sulted  in  the  victory  for  that  day,  a  piece  of  artillery, 
several  regimental  standards,  and  a  number  of  prisoners 
being  taken. 

The  morning  of  the  3<Dth  was  given  to  a  heavy  artillery 
combat  between  Colonel  S.  D.  Lee,  and  the  Federal  artil 
lery,  in  which  Colonel  Lee  was  as  successful  as  he  had 
been  on  the  previous  day. 

In  the  afternoon  Pickett's  brigade  was  a  part  of  the 
force  which  received  and  repelled  the  onset  of  Fitz  John 
Porter.  In  the  magnificent  charge  which  finally  cleared 
the  field  and  won  victory  for  the  Confederate  arms, 
Pickett's  men  proved  their  valor  as  loyally  as  they  had 
done  when  they  followed  their  own  leader,  who  was  far 
away,  his  gallant  soul  chafing  under  the  sad  necessity 
which  kept  him  off  the  field. 

Lee  again  sent  Jackson  to  secure  a  position  between 
Pope  and  the  capital,  but  Pope,  having  foreseen  this 
movement,  fell  back  to  Chantilly,  where  he  was  attacked 
by  Jackson  on  the  1st  of  September.  Here  the  Federal 
army  lost  the  brilliant  general,  Philip  Kearny,  who  rode 
within  the  Confederate  lines  and  was  shot  in  attempting 
to  escape. 

Kearny  had  been  a  Chasseur  d'Afrique  in  Algeria, 
where  his  bravery  won  for  him  the  cross  of  the  Legion 
of  Honor.  He  had  lost  an  arm  at  the  siege  of  Mexico. 
He  had  fought  with  the  French  army  in  the  bathes  of 
Magenta  and  Solferino,  and  had  again  received  from 
Emperor  Napoleon  III.  the  decoration  of  the  Legion  of 
Honor. 

13 


194  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

He  was  an  old  comrade  of  Lee  in  the  United  States 
army,  and  the  day  after  the  battle  the  Confederate  leader 
sent  his  body  under  a  flag  of  truce  to  General  Pope, 
thinking,  as  he  said  in  a  kind  note,  that  it  might  be  a  con 
solation  to  his  family. 

Thus  is  the  battle-field  sometimes  glorified  by  the 
gentleness  of  the  truly  chivalrous  heart. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

ANTIETAM. 

General  Lee,  having  won  the  second  battle  of  Ma- 
nassas,  pushed  on  into  Maryland  with  his  whole  army, 
arriving  at  Frederick  City  on  the  8th  of  September.  The 
next  day  he  issued  Order  No.  191,  afterward  known  as 
the  "  Lost  Order." 

This  order  directed  Jackson  to  go  through  Sharpsburg, 
cross  the  Potomac,  capture  Martinsburg,  and  help  take 
Harper's  Ferry.  Longstreet  was  to  remain  at  Boonsboro 
with  the  trains.  McLaws  was  to  station  his  command  on 
the  heights  of  Harper's  Ferry  and  capture  the  force  in 
the  town,  assisted  by  Walker,  and  guarded  in  the  rear  by 
D.  H.  Hill.  After  these  movements  had  been  effected  the 
commands  were  to  meet  again  at  Boonsboro  or  Hagers- 
town. 

This  was  a  well-laid  plan,  and  Lee  had  carefully  pre 
pared  the  order  for  the  guidance  of  his  own  generals  and 
not  for  the  instruction  of  the  Federal  commander.  A 
copy  was  sent  from  headquarters  to  D.  H.  Hill  who,  hav 
ing  been  transferred  to  Jackson's  command,  received  his 
order  from  the  hand  of  his  new  chief.  The  copy  which 
was  intended  for  him  served  the  useful  purpose  of  a  cigar- 
wrapper  until  it  chanced  to  be  left  behind  in  camp,  where 
it  was  found  by  a  prowling  Federal  soldier.  On  the 
morning  of  September  I3th  it  was  placed  in  the  hands 
of  McClellan,  and  in  the  afternoon  he  was  on  the  way 
to  the  pass  in  South  Mountain  on  the  Boonsboro  and 
Fredericksburg  road. 

195 


196  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

Franklin's  corps  was  ordered  to  pass  through  Cramp- 
ton's  Gap  and  attack  McLaws,  thereby  relieving  Harper's 
Ferry,  while  Burnside,  with  the  commands  of  Reno  and 
Hooker  were  sent  to  Turner's  Gap,  the  second  of  the  two 
principal  roads  through  the  South  Mountain.  A  North 
ern  writer  has  said  of  this  movement  that  it  "was  quick 
for  McClellan  but  not  quite  quick  enough  for  the  emer 
gency."  He  did  not  reach  the  passes  until  the  morning  of 
the  I4th,  when  Jackson  was  already  knocking  vigorously 
at  the  gates  of  Harper's  Ferry,  supported  on  the  right  by 
Walker  and  on  the  left  by  McLaws  and  R.  H.  Anderson, 
having  sent  A.  P.  Hill  with  his  division  to  Martinsburg. 

Lee  had  learned  of  McClellan's  movement  and  had  or 
dered  Hill  to  guard  Turner's  Gap,  supported  by  Long- 
street,  who  was  recalled  from  Hagerstown  for  the  pur 
pose.  On  the  long,  hot  march  Longstreet  had  lost  half 
his  number  from  exhaustion. 

Pickett's  brigade,  led  by  General  Garnett,  had  been 
marched  and  countermarched  under  conflicting  orders 
until,  after  twenty-three  miles  of  wearisome  effort,  it 
reached  the  battle,  exhausted,  having  lost  heavily  on  the 
way.  It  took  position  under  a  heavy  fire  of  artillery 
which  opened  upon  it  as  soon  as  it  came  in  sight.  Upon 
gaining  its  post  it  was  immediately  attacked  by  a  force 
many  times  as  great  as  its  own.  Under  the  fierce  assault 
the  left  fell  back.  The  right  being  unsupported,  was 
forced  to  retire,  when  the  contest  was  renewed  in  the 
rear,  but  the  darkness  prevented  objects  from  being  dis 
tinguishable.  As  Jenkins  advanced  to  the  attack,  Garnett 
was  ordered  to  bring  off  his  brigade.  He  had  been  in 
command  only  a  few  days. 

In  his  report  Garnett  says:  "We  have  to  mourn  in 
this  action  many  of  our  companions  as  killed  and 
wounded,  who  go  to  swell  the  list  of  noble  martyrs  who 


ANTIETAM.  IQ7 

have  suffered  in  our  just  cause.  It  was  my  lot  to  be  ac 
quainted  with  but  one  of  the  officers  who  fell  on  this  oc 
casion,  Colonel  John  B.  Strange,  Nineteenth  Virginia 
Volunteers.  His  tried  valor  on  other  fields,  and  heroic 
conduct  in  animating  his  men  to  advance  upon  the  enemy, 
with  his  latest  breath,  and  after  he  had  fallen  mortally 
wounded,  will  secure  imperishable  honor  for  his  name 
and  memory." 

Captain  Brown,  of  Colonel  Strange's  regiment,  says: 
"In  this  engagement  Colonel  J.  B.  Strange  fell,  seriously 
wounded,  and  in  the  retreat  was  left  behind.  His  voice 
was  heard  after  he  had  received  his  wound,  urging  his 
men  to  stand  firmly,  and  he  commanded  with  that  cool 
ness  and  daring  that  is  found  only  in  the  truly  brave." 

In  this  contest  at  Turner's  Gap  the  command  of  Reno, 
one  of  the  finest  officers  on  the  Union  side,  met  the 
brigade  of  our  gallant  and  brilliant  General  Garland,  and 
both  leaders  were  killed.  Among  the  wounded  was  Lieu 
tenant-Colonel  Rutherford  B.  Hayes,  commanding  the 
Twenty-third  Ohio,  who  received  a  rifle-ball  in  his  arm. 

The  fight  at  Crampton's  Gap  between  a  part  of  Mc- 
Laws's  forces  with  Stuart's  cavalry  and  Franklin's  com 
mand  had  taken  place  at  the  same  time.  At  nightfall 
Franklin's  banner  waved  from  the  crest  above  Crampton's 
Gap,  and  Lee  ordered  the  withdrawal  of  his  troops  from 
Turner's  Gap  and  their  removal  to  Sharpsburg.  The 
battle  was  lost,  but  the  delay  suffered  by  McClellan  in 
winning  it  had  enabled  Jackson  to  take  possession  of 
Harper's  Ferry.  At  noon  of  the  next  day  Lee  received 
the  following  note  from  Jackson:  "Through  God's  bless 
ing,  Harper's  Ferry  and  its  garrison  are  to  be  surren 
dered." 

At  that  moment  Lee  resolved  to  stand  and  meet  the 
enemy  at  Sharpsburg. 


igS  PICKET T  AND  HIS  MEN. 

4) 

Had  Lee  made  a  battle-field  for  himself  he  probably 
could  not  have  constructed  a  more  desirable  one  than 
that  which  he  had  chosen.  In  the  front  was  a  gentle  rise 
and  fall  like  the  graceful  undulations  of  a  sea  in  a  calm. 
In  the  rear  rose  the  hills,  crest  upon  crest,  as  if  nature  in 
martial  mood  might  have  formed  them  with  an  eye  to  the 
location  of  artillery.  Ridges  swelled  here  and  there,  to 
afford  hiding-places  for  reserves.  The  short  line  of  the 
Confederates  across  the  angle  of  the  Antietam  and  Po 
tomac  facilitated  reinforcement  at  any  point. 

The  sluggish  little  Antietam,  coming  down  from  the 
hills  of  Pennsylvania,  is  crossed  by  four  stone  bridges  — 
the  upper  one  on  the  Keedysville  and  Williamsport  road; 
the  second  on  the  Keedysville  and  Sharpsburg  turnpike, 
two  and  a  half  miles  below;  the  third  about  a  mile  below 
the  second,  on  the  Rohrersville  and  Sharpsburg  road; 
the  fourth  near  the  mouth  of  Antietam  Creek,  on  the 
road  from  Harper's  Ferry  to  Sharpsburg,  three  miles 
below  the  third. 

Lee's  line  of  battle  was  ranged  along  Sharpsburg 
Heights,  the  cavalry  and  horse  artillery  near  the  eastern 
bend  of  the  Potomac.  Single  batteries  were  posted  along 
the  line  and  below  the  crest  of  the  heights,  and  the  Wash 
ington  Artillery  was  on  Longstreet's  right.  When  Jack 
son  arrived  from  Harper's  Ferry  with  his  division  and 
Ewell's,  he  was  posted  west  of  the  Hagerstown  turnpike. 
Walker  was  stationed  with  his  two  brigades  to  the  right 
of  Longstreet. 

When  Pickett's  brigade,  led  by  Garnett,  reached  the 
field,  it  was  posted  under  a  heavy  fire  on  the  southeast  of 
Sharpsburg  in  a  hollow  at  the  rear  of  the  Washington 
Artillery  to  support  some  batteries.  Here  it  was  for  some 
hours  exposed  to  a  severe  fire  of  shot  and  shell,  losing  a 
number  of  its  men. 


ANTIETAM.  1 99 

McClellan's  advance  was  delayed  by  a  meeting  with 
Fitzhugh  Lee's  cavalry.  When  he  reached  the  field  he 
placed  his  batteries  near  the  center  and  massed  his  corps 
on  both  sides  of  the  Sharpsburg  turnpike.  Four  batteries 
were  on  the  height  above  Antietam  at  the  right;  on  the 
crest  near  the  third  bridge,  afterward  known  as  the  Burn- 
side  Bridge,  were  Weed's  and  Benjamin's  guns.  Between 
these  points  were  ten  or  more  batteries. 

On  the  Hagerstown  road  was  a  chapel  known  as  Dunker 
Church.  West  of  this  church  Hood  was  placed  to  defend 
the  road,  supported  by  S.  D.  Lee's  artillery,  to  the  east 
and  beyond  the  road.  North  of  the  church  was  a  field  of 
corn  turning  golden  in  the  warm  sunlight.  All  around 
grew  the  soft  grass,  green  and  beautiful,  on  the  banks  of 
the  life-giving  river.  Beyond  were  the  cool  shades  of  the 
East  Wood.  On  the  west  of  the  road  was  the  West  Wood, 
a  towering  forest  of  oaks.  On  the  western  side  of  the 
turnpike,  its  left  sheltered  by  the  West  Wood,  was  the 
Stonewall  division  under  D.  R.  Jones. 

McClellan's  Ninth  Corps  under  Cox  was  stationed  with 
Burnside  on  the  left  at  Burnside  Bridge.  Hooker,  with 
the  First  Corps,  was  on  the  right.  At  two  o'clock  Hooker 
crossed  the  creek  at  Williamsport  Bridge  and  attacked 
Longstreet's  left  brigades.  As  he  advanced  to  the  charge, 
his  muskets  flashing  brilliantly  in  the  last  rays  of  the  sun, 
he  was  received  and  repelled  by  Hood  and  the  batteries 
of  S.  D.  Lee.  When  the  crossing  of  Hooker  was  reported 
to  General  Lee,  he  sent  Jackson  to  command  the  entire 
battle  of  the  left  wing. 

At  the  East  Wood  Hooker's  skirmishers  met  McLaw's 
veterans  and  were  driven  back  to  the  edge  of  the  wood. 
As  they  retired  the  curtain  of  night  fell  slowly  over  the 
scene  and  the  soft  rain  descended,  as  if  nature,  with  gentle 
hand,  would  wash  away  the  stains  of  war. 


200  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

The  1 7th  of  September,  1862,  makes  its  crimson  mark 
upon  the  page  of  history  as  the  bloodiest  day  yet  of  the  long 
struggle  between  North  and  South.  Of  the  conflict  which 
raged  on  the  banks  of  the  Antietam  on  that  gloomy  day 
McClellan  telegraphed  to  Halleck:  "  We  are  in  the  midst 
of  the  most  terrible  battle  of  the  war,  perhaps  of  history." 

The  little  stream  of  Antietam,  meandering  drowsily 
between  its  grass-grown  banks,  started  to  sudden  life  with 
the  tide  of  brave  hot  blood  which  flowed  into  it,  and  went 
rushing  on  its  way  to  the  sea  as  impetuously  as  if  the 
blood  of  North  and  South  were  even  yet  waging  tempest 
uous  warfare. 

In  the  night,  McClellan  had  ordered  Mansfield  to  cross 
by  the  upper  bridge  to  support  Hooker's  attack  upon 
Jackson.  At  early  dawn  the  assault  was  made,  assisted 
by  Doubleday,  who  swept  down  the  Hagerstown  turnpike 
and  struck  the  center  of  Jackson's  division. 

Across  the  river,  to  and  fro  the  guns  hurled  their  deadly 
missiles,  and  space  was  filled  with  flying  balls  and  frag 
ments  of  shell,  and  heavy  clouds  of  smoke,  and  the  air 
was  shivered  with  the  thunderous  reports. 

Jones,  who  led  the  Stonewall  division,  was  wounded, 
and  the  command  devolved  upon  Starke,  who  in  a  short 
time  was  killed.  Grigsby  sprang  to  the  command,  rallied 
the  men,  and  dashed  upon  Doubleday,  who  retreated. 
The  Federal  lines  were  several  times  repulsed,  but  were 
heavily  reinforced  and  flung  themselves  so  impetuously 
upon  Jackson  that  his  forces  fell  back  and  took  a  strong 
post  in  the  rear. 

The  corn-field  which  had  been  so  beautiful  in  the  Sep 
tember  sun  shook  under  the  fearful  storm  that  swept  over 
it,  and  its  promise  of  golden  harvest  went  down  forever 
under  the  rush  of  murderous  feet. 

Lawton,  leading  Ewell's  division,  was  wounded,  and 


ANTIETAM  2OI 

most  of  the  field-officers  were  killed  or  wounded.  As 
Lawton  was  carried  off  the  field,  Hood's  brigades  came 
dashing  up  from  the  church,  leaving  their  half-cooked 
breakfast  to  the  tender  mercies  of  the  camp-fire.  At  the 
same  time  three  of  D.  H.  Hill's  brigades  came  through 
the  Confederate  center  and  attacked  Ricketts. 

Before  this  onslaught  Hooker  retreated  to  the  protec 
tion  of  his  guns,  leaving  about  one-fourth  of  his  men  on 
the  field.  Mansfield  led  out  his  two  divisions  in  an  effort 
to  regain  the  ground  which  Hooker  had  lost.  The  battle 
in  the  corn  raged  anew  and  Mansfield  went  to  swell  the 
roll  of  the  fallen. 

Early,  who  had  taken  the  place  of  the  wounded  Law- 
ton,  held  the  position  left  vacant  by  Jackson's  division, 
which  had  been  withdrawn  at  seven  o'clock.  Hood, 
who  had  returned  to  the  field,  joined  with  Early  and  held 
the  ground  under  a  heavy  fire  of  a  force  far  greater  than 
their  own. 

At  half  past  eight  Sumner  crossed  the  Antietam  and  en 
tered  East  Wood,  followed  by  Sedgwick.  As  he  turned  with 
his  six  thousand  toward  the  West  Wood,  he  was  met  by  a 
storm  of  shells  from  Stuart's  guns  and  a  shower  of  canister 
from  Jackson's  batteries.  Behind  the  ledges  of  rock  stood 
Grigsby  and  his  three  hundred,  and  from  their  points  of 
vantage  they  held  Sumner  in  check  until  his  way  to  de 
struction  was  prepared.  Hood's  division  had  been  shat 
tered,  but  McLaws  had  reached  the  field  and,  with  Ander 
son  and  Walker,  came  to  the  support  of  Grigsby  and 
Early,  and  Sumner  was  swept  away  in  a  storm  of  fire. 

This  was  followed  by  a  heavy  attack  on  the  center, 
which  was  hurled  back  by  G.  B.  Anderson  and  Rodes,  of 
D.  H.  Hill's  division,  and  part  of  Walker's  command,  with 
a  few  pieces  of  artillery.  French's  brigades  took  refuge 
behind  the  crest  of  a  hill  from  which  they  kept  up  a  des- 


202  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

• 
ultory  fire.     An  attack  by  Richardson  was  then  repulsed. 

Through  mistake,  Rodes's  brigade  was  withdrawn  from 
position  and  the  Federals  took  advantage  of  the  gap  thus 
formed  to  break  through  G.  B.  Anderson's  line,  Anderson 
being  mortally  wounded.  General  R.  H.  Anderson  and 
General  Wright  were  also  wounded  and  taken  from  the 
field. 

The  object  of  all  this  display  by  Hooker  was  to  enable 
Burnside  to  effect  a  crossing  at  the  Rohrersville  turnpike, 
over  the  bridge  since  known  as  "  Burnside's  Bridge,"  op 
posite  the  right  wing  of  Longstreet.  The  western  end  of 
this  bridge  was  held  by  Toombs  with  three  Georgia  regi 
ments  and  one  of  Jenkins's  South  Carolina  regiments, 
supported  by  batteries  stationed  among  the  trees. 

Upon  this  bridge  Sturgis  led  a  bayonet  charge,  sup 
ported  by  a  heavy  cannonade,  but  was  forced  to  retreat 
by  the  concentrated  fire  of  Longstreet's  gun  and  the  rifles. 
There  were  just  six  hundred  of  Toombs's  gallant  riflemen, 
brave  as  the  dashing  six  hundred  who  have  charged  down 
the  highway  of  history  ever  since  Balaklava,  and  four 
times  they  sent  the  storming  party  back  across  the  east 
end  of  the  bridge.  There  was  a  sheltered  ford  below  the 
bridge,  and  Rodman's  division  made  a  double-quick  charge 
across  it  and  reached  the  west  bank.  This  rendered  the 
position  at  the  bridge  untenable,  and  a  little  later  Burn- 
side's  corps  crossed  the  bridge  and  climbed  the  heights, 
attacking  Longstreet  and  driving  back  the  brigades  of 
Drayton,  Kemper  and  Garnett  ( Pickett's  brigade).  Jones's 
division  broke  and  retreated  to  Sharpsburg. 

Burnside  had  been  successful  against  Longstreet,  but 
A.  P.  Hill  came  upon  the  field  with  three  thousand  four 
hundred  men  ready  to  descend  upon  Burnside's  brigades, 
notwithstanding  a  march  of  seven  hours,  in  which  time 
they  had  made  seventeen  miles.  A  flood  of  fire  poured. 


ANTIETAM.  203 

from  the  batteries  on  the  height  and  the  Federals  re 
treated  to  their  guns  on  the  other  side  of  the  Antietam. 

When  night  brought  silence  to  this  terrible  field  of 
the  Civil  War,  Mclntosh's  battery,  taken  when  A.  P.  Hill 
first  arrived  upon  the  scene,  had  been  regained,  and  the 
ground  lost  by  Longstreet  had  been  recovered. 

When  Pickett's  brigade  had  been  for  some  hours  in 
rear  of  the  artillery  it  was  ordered  forward  to  the  crest  of 
the  hill  to  dislodge  the  Federal  skirmishers  and  protect 
the  artillery  eastward.  Shortly  after,  S.  D.  Lee's  battalion 
took  the  place  of  the  Washington  Artillery,  and  the  Fifty- 
sixth  Regiment  under  Captain  McPhail,  Colonel  William 
D.  Stuart  being  ill,  was  sent  back  to  protect  the  move 
ment. 

When  Burnside  crossed  the  river  the  brigade  again 
took  position  in  front  in  a  corn-field,  the  Fifty-sixth  Regi 
ment  being  recalled  to  the  left  wing  of  the  main  body. 
Here  it  opened  fire  on  a  large  number  of  skirmishers  and 
drove  them  back. 

From  the  woods  of  Antietam  a  moving  wall  of  bayonets 
bore  down  upon  the  little  band.  Only  two  hundred  of 
the  gallant  Virginians  were  left,  but  with  two  rifled  pieces 
they  bravely  held  their  ground.  After  an  hour  of  heavy 
work  the  right  began  to  yield.  A  number  of  Federal  flags 
were  seen  upon  a  hill  in  rear  of  Sharpsburg,  the  only  ave 
nue  of  escape.  Garnett,  seeing  that  his  small  force  was 
in  danger  of  being  surrounded  and  captured,  was  forced 
to  withdraw  it,  the  Nineteenth  under  Major  Cabell  halting 
to  protect  a  section  of  artillery.  The  brigade  filed  out 
from  its  position  of  peril  and  passed  around  to  the  north 
of  the  town. 

The  battle  had  been  fought  and  lost,  but  it  could  scarcely 
be  said  to  have  been  won.  It  stopped,  apparently  be 
cause  both  sides  were  too  much  exhausted  to  go  on.  Lee 


204  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

had  gained  advantages  of  position,  and  McClellan  had 
lost  very  many  men  who  would  have  been  saved  but  for 
his  sending  his  army  out  in  detachments  to  be  killed  in 
detail,  instead  of  subjecting  Lee's  army  to  that  process,  as 
he  had  previously  claimed  that  he  would  do.  He  had 
held  back  all  his  reserves,  he  and  Porter  agreeing  in  the 
opinion  that  reserves  are  articles  of  luxury  not  to  be 
utilized  in  the  practical  affairs  of  life. 

If  the  battle  was  indecisive  from  a  military  point  of 
view,  it  had  political  significance  of  great  importance.  Lee 
withdrew  from  Maryland,  and  Lincoln,  in  accordance  with 
his  previous  announcement,  issued  the  EMANCIPATION 
PROCLAMATION. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

REORGANIZATION. 

The  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  had  just  returned  from 
the  first  Maryland  campaign,  greatly  reduced  in  number, 
and  was  falling  back  toward  Winchester  when  Brigadier- 
General  Pickett  reported  for  duty  at  Martinsburg.  This 
was  in  September,  1862,  and  the  General  was  yet  only  able 
to  wear  his  coat  across  the  wounded  arm  and  shoulder, 
which  still  caused  him  severe  suffering. 

At  Martinsburg  a  reorganization  of  the  army  was  made. 
Pickett's  and  Kemper's  Virginia  brigades  and  Jenkins's 
South  Carolina  brigade  were  consolidated  into  a  division 
and  attached  to  Longstreet's  corps.  The  command  of  the  di 
vision  was  assigned  to  Brigadier-General  George  E.  Pickett. 

Brigadier-General  Richard  B.  Garnett  was  assigned  to 
Pickett's  old  brigade,  and  from  this  date  its  designation 
was  changed  to  Garnett's  brigade,  and  it  became  merged 
into  the  general  record  of  Pickett's  division.  Under  its 
new  leader  it  well  sustained  its  olden  glory. 

In  September,  1862,  at  Culpeper  Court-house,  Briga 
dier-General  Lewis  Addison  Armistead's  brigade,  which 
had  heretofore  belonged  to  Huger's  division,  was  assigned 
to  Pickett's  division.  This  brigade  had  been  engaged  in 
the  second  day's  fight  at  Seven  Pines,  in  the  battles  of 
Malvern  Hill  and  Sharpsburg,  and  had  been  with  Lee's 
army  in  the  first  Maryland  campaign. 

On  October  10, 1862,  Brigadier-General  Pickett  was  offi 
cially  promoted  major-general,  and  permanently  placed  in 
command  of  Pickett's  division. 

205 


206  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

General  Pickett's  staff  consisted  of  Major  Charles 
Pickett,  assistant  adjutant-general;  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Walter  Harrison,  assistant  adjutant  and  inspector-general; 
Captain  Robert  Johnston,  assistant  adjutant-general, 
colonel  of  cavalry,  1861  and  1862;  Major  Charles  W. 
Chancellor,  chief  surgeon  until  1863,  when  Major  M.  M. 
Lewis  took  his  place.  Major  James  A.  McAlpine  was 
medical  inspector  from  1864  to  1865.  Major  R.  Taylor 
Scott  was  chief  quartermaster;  Major  Horace  W.  Jones, 
chief  commissary;  Captain  David  Meade,  Captain  Thomas 
P.  Wallace,  Captain  William  B.  Edmonds,  assistant  quar 
termasters. 

Captain  A.  W.  Williams  was  paymaster  of  division 
from  1864  to  1865.  Captain  W.  Douglas  Stuart  was  chief 
engineer  officer;  Lieutenant  John  S.  Morson,  assistant 
engineer  officer;  First  Lieutenant  Samuel  G.  Leitch,  chief 
ordnance  officer,  1862  to  1864;  Captain  Howe  P.  Coch- 
rane,  chief  ordnance  officer  from  1864  to  186$. 

Lieutenant  Edward  R.  Baird,  Robert  A.  Bright  and 
W.  Stuart  Symington  were  aides-de-camp;  Lieutenant  I. 
W.  Gossett  and  F.  W.  Brooke,  provost  guard;  Major  Ray 
mond  Fairfax,  chief  pioneer  corps;  Captain  Charles  Floyd, 
assistant  quartermaster  and  division  sutler. 

The  couriers  and  orderlies  at  headquarters  were  Messrs. 
Harrie  Hough,  chief  clerk;  Richard  Avery,  assistant  chief 
clerk;  Robert  Hempston,  Thomas  R.  Friend,  James  Ryals, 
Martin  Van  Buren  Campbell,  John  E.  Whitlock,  and 
George  Stultz,  orderlies. 

Four  batteries  of  field  artillery,  under  command  of 
Major  James  Dearing,  were  attached  to  Pickett's  division 
near  the  time  of  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg  and  followed 
it  through  the  Suffolk  campaign,  Gettysburg,  Newbern  and 
Plymouth,  until  the  summer  of  1864,  when  it  was  detached. 
Its  brilliant  leader,  Major  Dearing,  became  brigadier-gen- 


REORGANIZATION.  207 

eral  of  cavalry,  and  fell  at  the  head  of  his  brigade  in  a 
skirmish  with  a  party  of  bridge-burners  at  the  High 
Bridge  a  few  days  before  the  surrender  —  said  to  have 
been  the  last  Confederate  killed  in  the  war. 

The  oldest  of  these  batteries  was  the  Richmond-Fay- 
ette,  named  for  Lafayette,  who  was  visiting  Richmond 
when  the  battery  was  formed,  May  29,  1824.  In  acknowl 
edgment  of  the  compliment,  he  presented  to  his  name 
sake  battery  two  brass  six-pounders  which  he  had  brought 
to  the  United  States  during  the  Revolution.  Colonel 
John  Rutherford  first  led  the  company,  and  it  was  after 
ward  commanded,  in  1861,  at  the  opening  of  tha  war,  by 
Captain  Henry  Coalter  Cabell.  In  1861  it  went  to  the 
Peninsula  under  Colonel  J.  B.  Magruder,  being  first  engaged 
at  Yorktown  and  opening  the  battle  of  Williamsburg.  Its 
notable  actions  are  too  many  to  be  named,  but  among 
them  was  its  support  of  the  ill-fated  charge  upon  Cemetery 
Height  at  Gettysburg.  Thirty-seven  of  its  men  were  killed 
in  action.  It  was  known  as  the  Macon  battery,  from 
Captain  Miles  C.  Macon,  who  succeeded  in  command 
when  Captain  Cabell  was  promoted  colonel  of  artillery, 
and  who  was  killed  in  the  last  action  in  which  his  battery 
took  part. 

The  Hampden  Artillery  was  also  known  as  Caskie's 
battery,  from  its  second  leader,  Captain  William  H. 
Caskie,  who  succeeded  to  the  command  at  the  end  of  the 
first  year  of  service.  It  was  organized  in  Richmond  in 
1861,  and  mustered  into  service  shortly  afterward,  Cap 
tain  Lawrence  S.  Marye  being  its  commander.  After 
many  brilliant  actions  it  was  assigned  to  Pickett's  division 
in  March,  1863,  and  was  with  it  in  the  charge  at  Gettys 
burg.  With  horses  at  a  hard  gallop  it  led  the  charge  upon 
Newbern,  Captain  Caskie,  whose  horse  had  been  wounded, 
leading  on  foot,  carrying  a  musket  with  which  he  did  good 


208  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN 

service.  To  replace  his  wounded  horse,  General  Pickett 
gave  him  one  which  was  captured  on  the  field.  After 
Captain  Caskie's  promotion  in  the  spring  of  1864,  the  bat 
tery  was  led  by  Captain  John  E.  Sullivan,  under  whose 
leadership  it  maintained  its  well-earned  distinction. 

The  Fauquier  Artillery  received  this  name  from  the 
circumstance  of  having  been  recruited  in  Fauquier  County, 
Virginia.  It  was  known  as  Stribling's  battery,  from  its 
commander,  Captain  Robert  M.  Stribling.  After  many 
brilliant  engagements  with  R.  H.  Anderson's  South 
Carolina  brigade  and  Kemper's  Virginia  brigade,  and  at 
Malvern  Hill  with  Toombs's  brigade,  it  repulsed  a  charge 
of  cavalry  at  Turkey  Island.  For  this  action  it  received 
the  compliment  of  special  mention  in  the  Federal  reports 
for  the  precision  and  effect  of  its  fire.  In  this  engage 
ment  its  guns  were  directed  by  Lieutenants  Marshall  and 
Carroll.  After  distinguished  service  with  Stuart  at  Ma- 
nassas  Plains,  where  it  advanced  in  front  of  the  infantry 
and  supported  a  cavalry  charge  until  the  Federals  were 
defeated,  it  was  then  attached  to  Bearing's  battalion 
and  accompanied  General  Longstreet  to  Suffolk  where, 
being  surrounded  by  an  overwhelming  force,  it  suffered 
the  loss  of  many  fine  guns  and  the  capture  of  its  com 
mander  and  his  officers.  After  their  exchange  the  battery 
was  reorganized  and  equipped  at  Richmond  and  furnished 
with  six  Napoleon  guns,  and  its  next  engagement  was  at 
Gettysburg  in  the  cannonade  of  the  third  day  which 
ushered  in  the  final  charge.  Upon  the  promotion  of  Cap 
tain  Stribling,  Lieutenant  Marshall  succeeded  him  as 
captain.  Under  his  command  it  was  in  many  brilliant  ac 
tions  until  the  surrender,  when  it  went  on  to  Lynchburg, 
destroyed  its  guns  and  disbanded. 

The  Latham-Dearing-Blount  battery  was  first  Latham's 
battery,  from  its  commander.  Then  it  passed  under  the 


RE  OR  GA  NIZA  TIGN.  209 

leadership  of  Dearing  and,  upon  his  promotion,  became 
Blount's  battery,  Captain  J.  R.  Blount  being  its  leader. 
It  was  organized  in  Lynchburg  in  1861,  and  did  good  serv 
ice  at  the  first  battle  of  Manassas,  being  said  to  have  fired 
the  first  guns  on  that  day.  In  1862,  it  was  in  active  service 
in  the  Peninsula,  and  supported  Pickett's  brigade  with 
distinguished  honor  at  Seven  Pines  and  Gaines's  Mill.  In 
December,  1862,  it  was  made  a  part  of  Dearing's  battalion 
and  attached  to  Pickett's  division,  serving  in  the  expedi 
tion  to  Suffolk  and  at  Gettysburg,  and  in  many  subsequent 
engagements.  It  was  neither  captured  nor  surrendered, 
but  pushed  its  way  on  to  its  native  city  of  Lynchburg 
where  it  disbanded  and  destroyed  its  guns. 

On  the  first  of  November,  1862,  Pickett's  division  was 
moved  from  Orange  Court-house  to  Fredericksburg,  where 
it  was  confronted  with  Burnside's  Army  of  the  Potomac. 
Here  a  brigade  was  formed  for  Colonel  M.  D.  Corse,  and 
became  a  part  of  Pickett's  division.  Colonel  Corse  had 
also  previously  commanded  Pickett's  brigade  for  a  short 
time  while  Pickett  lay  wounded. 

Pickett's  division  at  this  time  was  about  ninety-one 
hundred  strong.  The  fate  of  many  a  brave  man  is  yet  to 
be  recorded  before  these  pages  are  finished. 

The  colonels  were  — 

First  Virginia:  P.  T.  Moore,  wounded  at  Bull  Run., 
July,  1861,  and  promoted  brigadier-general;  Lewis  B.  Wil 
liams,  Jr.,  killed,  Gettysburg,  July  3,  1863;  Frederic  G 
Skinner,  wounded  and  disabled,  Second  Manassas. 

Third  Virginia:  Roger  A.  Pryor,  promoted  brigadier 
general,  1862;  Joseph  Mayo,  Jr.,  wounded,  Gettysburg. 

Seventh  Virginia:  James  L.  Kemper,  promoted  briga 
dier-general  in  1862,  wounded  at  Gettysburg,  major-gen 
eral  in  1864;  W.  Tazewell  Patton,  killed,  Gettysburg;  C. 
C.  Floweree,  1863-65. 

14 


210  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.      • 

Eighth  Virginia:  Eppa  Hunton,  promoted  brigadier- 
general,  1863;  Norbourne  Berkeley,  wounded,  Gettys 
burg. 

Ninth  Virginia:  David  Godwin;  J.  Owens,  killed, 
Gettysburg;  J.  J.  Phillips,  wounded,  Gettysburg. 

Eleventh  Virginia:  Samuel  Garland,  promoted  briga 
dier-general,  and  killed,  Boonsboro,  1862;  David  Funsten, 
Maurice  S.  Langhorne,  and  Kirk  Otey,  all  wounded. 

Fourteenth  Virginia:  James  G.  Hodges,  killed,  Gettys 
burg;  William  White,  wounded,  Gettysburg. 

Fifteenth  Virginia:  Thomas  P.  August,  wounded  and 
disabled,  Malvern  Hill,  1862. 

Seventeenth  Virginia:  M.  D.  Corse,  promoted  briga 
dier-general,  1862;  Morton  Marye,  wounded  and  disabled, 
1862;  Arthur  Herbert. 

Eighteenth  Virginia:  Robert  E.  Withers,  wounded  and 
disabled,  Gaines's  Mill;  Henry  A.  Carrington,  wounded. 

Nineteenth  Virginia:  Armistead  Rust,  1861;  J.  B. 
Strange,  killed,  Sharpsburg,  1862;  Henry  Gantt,  wounded, 
Gettysburg. 

Twenty-fourth  Virginia:  Jubal  A.  Early,  wounded, 
and  promoted  lieutenant-general;  William  R.  Terry, 
wounded  and  promoted  brigadier-general;  Richard  L. 
Maury,  wounded  and  disabled,  Drury's  Farm,  1864. 

Twenty-eighth  Virginia:  Robert  F.  Preston,  1861; 
Robert  Allen,  killed,  Gettysburg;  William  Watts,  1863-65. 

Twenty-ninth  Virginia:     Austin  Moore;   James  Giles. 

Thirtieth  Virginia:  R.  Milton  Gary,  1861;  Archy  T. 
Harrison;  Robert  S.  Chew. 

Thirty-second  Virginia:     Edgar  B.  Montague. 

Thirty-eighth  Virginia:  E.  C.  Edmonds,  killed,  Gettys 
burg;  George  K.  Griggs. 

Fifty-third  Virginia:  Harrison  B.  Tomlin,  1861;  J. 
Grammer;  William  R.  Aylett,  wounded,  Gettysburg. 


RE  ORGANIZA  TION.  2 1 1 

Fifty-sixth  Virginia:  W.  D.  Stuart,  killed,  Gettys 
burg;  William  E.  Green,  wounded;  Peyton  P.  Slaughter, 
wounded  and  disabled,  Gaines's  Mill. 

Fifty-Seventh  Virginia:  Lewis  A.  Armistead,  pro 
moted  brigadier-general  in  1862,  killed  at  Gettysburg; 
E.  F.  Keene;  J.  B.  Magruder,  killed,  Gettysburg;  and 
C.  R.  Fontaine. 


CHAPTER   XXVI. 
PICKETT'S  GENERALS. 

Brigadier-General  Richard  Brooke  Garnett  was  born 
in  Essex  County,  Virginia,  in  1819.  He  was  graduated 
from  West  Point  in  1841,  in  the  class  which  furnished 
the  largest  list  of  officers  killed  in  action,  six  falling  on 
the  battle-fields  of  Mexico,  and  eight  —  among  them  the 
heroic  Garnett  himself — in  the  Civil  War. 

Upon  his  graduation  he  was  appointed  second-lieuten 
ant  in  the  Sixth  Infantry;  served  in  the  Florida  war,  in 
New  Orleans,  and  San  Antonio,  Texas,  on  the  frontier, 
and  was  stationed  at  Benicia,  California,  at  the  beginning 
of  the  war  between  the  States. 

Feeling  it  his  duty  to  serve  his  native  State,  he  re 
signed  from  the  United  States  army,  May  17,  1861.  He 
was  appointed  brigadier-general  in  the  Confederate  army 
ancl  served  with  Jackson  in  the  Valley  of  Virginia.  For 
a  time  he  commanded  the  celebrated  Stonewall  Brigade. 

When  the  ammunition  was  exhausted  at  the  battle 
of  Kernstown,  Garnett  retired  his  brigade,  thereby  in 
curring  the  displeasure  of  Jackson,  who  claimed  that, 
but  for  Garnett's  action,  he  could  have  won  the  battle. 
The  offending  officer  was  arrested  and  temporarily  re 
lieved  from  duty.  The  sensitive  mind  of  the  brave  gen 
eral,  who  was  as  courageous  on  the  field  as  he  was  hon 
orable  in  the  performance  of  all  the  duties  of  a  soldier's 
life,  never  recovered  from  what  he  regarded  as  a  stigma 
upon  his  military  reputation.  This  feeling  was  proba 
bly,  at  least  in  part,  the  cause  of  his  insisting  upon 


PICKETT'S  GENERALS.  21$ 

leading  his  brigade  at  Gettysburg  when  he  was  so  ill  as  to 
be  scarcely  able  to  sit  upon  his  horse.  His  magnanimity 
is  attested  by  the  fact  that  no  more  sincere  a  mourner 
followed  the  great  leader  "Stonewall"  to  his  untimely 
grave  than  the  man  in  whose  heart  still  rankled  the 
wound  which  would  be  healed  only  when  the  gallant  soul 
had  passed  into  that  higher  phase  of  life  where  all  the 
hurts  of  this  narrow  existence  pass  away. 

Garnett  commanded  Pickett's  brigade  in  the  absence 
of  its  leader  while  wounded,  and  when  Pickett  was  pro 
moted  to  the  command  of  a  division  the  brigade  was 
placed  permanently  under  Garnett,  who  led  it  with  dis 
tinguished  success,  winning  the  respect  and  affection  of 
officers  and  men.  It  was  at  the  head  of  this  grand  old 
brigade  that  he  rode  down  into  the  valley  between  the 
hills  of  Gettysburg,  cheering  on  his  men  with  all  the  en 
thusiasm  he  had  shown  in  his  greatest  vigor  and  health, 
to  meet  the  death  to  which  every  true  soldier  looks  for 
ward  as  the  crowning  glory  of  a  noble  life. 

Brigadier-General  Lewis  Addison  Armistead  com 
manded  the  second  brigade  of  Pickett's  division.  He 
was  born  in  Newbern,  North  Carolina,  February  18,  1817. 

The  son  of  an  army  officer,  it  was  inevitable  that  he 
should  enter  West  Point,  from  which  he  would  probably 
have  been  graduated  with  most  brilliant  honors,  had  not 
his  martial  instincts  so  far  overruled  the  discipline  of  that 
rigid  institution  as  to  result  in  the  smashing  of  Jubal 
Early's  head  with  a  plate.  Although  it  is  not  the  avowed 
intention  of  that  conservatory  of  war  to  repress  the  heroic 
soul,  yet  in  this  particular  case  it  was  deemed  best  that 
the  belligerent  instincts  should  be  permitted  to  develop 
in  a  less  restricted  atmosphere,  and  so  the  scholastic 
career  of  the  future  Confederate  leader  was  suddenly 
terminated. 


214  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.         « 

In  1839  Armistead  was  appointed  second-lieutenant  in 
the  Sixth  Regiment  of  infantry,  then  in  General  Zachary 
Taylor's  command.  He  served  in  the  Florida  war  under 
his  father,  General  W.  K.  Armistead,  and  in  1844  was 
promoted  to  a  first-lieutenancy  by  President  Tyler.  He 
was  brevetted  for  gallant  conduct  in  Mexico,  being  at 
Chapultepec,  as  we  are  told,  "the  first  to  leap  into  the 
great  ditch." 

At  the  opening  of  the  Civil  War  he  was  a  captain  in 
the  regular  army.  He  resigned,  was  commissioned  colo 
nel,  and  placed  in  command  of  the  Fifty-seventh  Regi 
ment  of  Virginia  infantry.  In  1862  he  was  made  briga 
dier-general  and  organized  a  brigade  of  infantry,  which 
was  assigned  to  Huger's  division  of  Longstreet's  First 
Army  Corps.  It  was  first  engaged  in  the  second  day's 
fight  at  Seven  Pines,  where  its  brave  general  was  espe 
cially  distinguished.  In  September,  1862,  it  was  added 
to  Pickett's  division  of  Longstreet's  corps.  In  his  re 
port  of  the  battle  of  Malvern  Hill,  General  Magruder 
says:  "Brigadier-General  Armistead  held  the  line  of 
battle  in  the  wood  which  secured  the  field,  and  after 
bringing  on  the  action  in  the  most  gallant  manner  by  re 
pulsing  an  attack  of  a  heavy  body  of  the  enemy's  skir 
mishers,  skilfully  lent  support  to  the  contending  troops 
in  front  when  it  was  required." 

It  was  at  the  head  of  this  brigade  that  he  stormed  up 
the  deadly  slope  of  Cemetery  Hill,  broke  the  Union  lines 
and,  with  his  hand  resting  on  a  Federal  gun  and  the  shout 
of  victory  on  his  lips,  fell,  as  noble  a  sacrifice  as  ever 
sanctified  a  battle-field. 

Brigadier-General  James  Lawson  Kemper  was  com 
mander  of  the  Third  Brigade  of  Pickett's  division. 

He  was  born  in  1824,  of  a  Virginia  family  whose  his 
tory  dates  back  to  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth  cen- 


PICKETT'S  GENERALS.  21$ 

tury.  He  seems  to  have  had  no  predilection  for  a  war 
rior's  life,  as  he  prepared  himself  carefully  for  profes 
sional  work.  In  1847  ne  was  commissioned  captain  of 
volunteers  by  President  Polk,  and  joined  Taylor's  army 
of  occupation  after  the  battle  of  Buena  Vista,  thus  taking 
no  active  part  in  the  war.  He  afterward  served  for  a 
number  of  years  in  the  political  and  military  affairs  of  his 
State. 

On  the  2d  of  May,  1861,  he  became  colonel  of  volun 
teers,  and  at  Manassas  took  command  of  the  Seventh 
Regiment  of  infantry.  After  the  first  battle  of  Manassas 
the  regiment  was  joined  temporarily  to  Early's  brigade. 
Three  days  later  it  was  assigned  to  Longstreet's  brigade, 
afterward  commanded  by  A.  P.  Hill.  Under  this  com 
mand  Colonel  Kemper  with  his  regiment  fought  for  nine 
successive  hours  at  Williamsburg,  capturing  some  pieces 
of  artillery  and  four  hundred  prisoners.  He  was  im 
mediately  after  made  commander  of  the  brigade,  and  led 
it  through  the  historic  Seven  Days. 

In  the  second  battle  of  Manassas  General  Kemper 
commanded  a  division  composed  of  several  brigades  after 
ward  in  Pickett's  division,  and  made  so  successful  a  move 
ment  that  General  Lee  sent  him  a  request  to  repeat  it, 
thus  assisting  very  greatly  in  the  final  success  of  that 
battle.  He  commanded  his  own  brigade  at  South  Moun 
tain  and  Antietam.  After  the  Maryland  campaign  Kemp- 
er's  brigade  was  joined  to  Pickett's  division. 

At  Fredericksburg  General  Kemper  with  his  brigade 
advanced  under  a  heavy  fire  to  unite  with  the  troops  on 
Marye's  Heights.  Early  in  1863,  he  and  his  brigade  were 
sent  to  North  Carolina;  returning  to  Pickett's  division  in 
front  of  Suffolk. 

General  Kemper  bravely  led  his  brigade  in  the  great 
charge  on  the  last  day  of  Gettysburg,  and  was  carried 


2l6  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.        » 

out,  never  again  to  inspire  his  gallant  warriors  by  his  pres 
ence  on  the  field.  He  was  afterward  placed  in  command 
of  the  forces  at  Richmond,  where  he  did  good  service, 
and  in  1864  was  promoted  major-general. 

After  the  war,  he  most  ably  served  the  State  of  Vir 
ginia  as  governor,  and  won  in  civic  life  laurels  no  less  un 
fading  than  he  had  gained  in  war. 

Brigadier-General  Montgomery  D.  Corse  was  a  native 
of  Alexandria,  Virginia,  and  a  graduate  of  a  military  school. 

In  1846,  he  was  elected  captain  of  volunteers,  and 
served  in  the  war  with  Mexico.  After  the  close  of  the 
war,  he  spent  some  years  in  California,  and  was  captain  of 
the  Sutter  Rifles  in  Sacramento.  In  1860,  he  organized 
the  Old  Dominion  Rifles  of  Alexandria,  and  a  battalion  of 
volunteers,  of  which  he  was  major.  The  infantry  com 
panies  of  this  battalion  were  afterwards  a  part  of  the  cele 
brated  Seventeenth  Regiment  of  Virginia  infantry,  and 
Major  Corse  was  made  its  colonel,  leading  it  with  distinc 
tion  at  Manassas  and  the  battles  in  that  vicinity. 

He  commanded  Kemper's  regiment  in  the  second 
battle  of  Manassas,  where  he  was  slightly  wounded.  He 
was  wounded  while  leading  his  regiment  at  Boonsboro, 
and  again  at  Antietam,  where  he  went  into  battle  with 
fifty-six  men  and  came  out  with  seven. 

On  November  I,  1862,  Colonel  Corse  was  commissioned 
brigadier-general,  and  for  a  time  was  in  command  of 
Pickett's  brigade.  Soon  after  he  was  assigned  to  a  new 
brigade  made  up  of  the  Fifteenth,  Seventeenth,  Thirtieth 
and  Thirty-second  Virginia  regiments,  afterward  includ 
ing  the  Twenty-ninth  Virginia.  It  served  with  Pickett's 
division  throughout  the  war,  but  being,  unfortunately, 
detached  from  it  and  left  at  Hanover  Junction  in  the 
campaign  of  1863,  the  division  was  deprived  of  its  assist 
ance  at  Gettysburg. 


PICKETT'S  GENERALS.  21 J 

Longstreet  mentions  the  distinguished  gallantry  and 
skill  of  Corse  while  commanding  a  regiment  at  the  battle 
of  Frazier's  Farm.  He  led  his  brigade  brilliantly  at  Five 
Forks,  was  captured  at  Sailor's  Creek,  and  remained  a 
prisoner  until  some  months  after  the  close  of  the  war. 

The  dashing  Micah  Jenkins  fought  with  great  ability 
,  at  Seven  Pines,  and  brought  on  the  battle  of  Frazier's 
Farm  by  leading  his  battalion  of  sharpshooters  in  a  charge 
upon  a  battery,  which  he  captured.  He  was  afterward 
placed  in  command  of  a  brigade  which  was  incorporated 
into  Pickett's  division,  and  was  held  in  reserve  at  Fred- 
ericksburg.  Greatly  to  the  regret  of  General  Pickett,  and 
the  crippling  of  the  division,  he  was  left  on  guard-duty 
when  Pennsylvania  was  invaded  and  the  battle  of  Gettys 
burg  was  fought. 

When  General  Longstreet  was  transferred  to  Tennessee, 
Jenkins,  with  his  brigade  of  South  Carolinians,  was  at 
tached  to  Hood's  division  and  accompanied  him.  He  dis 
played  great  skill  in  leading  his  command  across  Lookout 
Mountain  after  the  attack  upon  Hooker's  rear-guard. 

In  the  Wilderness  he  rode  next  to  Longstreet  and  said: 
"I  am  happy;  I  have  felt  despair  of  the  cause  for  some 
months,  but  am  relieved,  and  feel  assured  that  we  will  put 
the  enemy  back  across  the  Rapidan  before  night."  Scarce 
had  the  words  left  his  lips  when  the  party,  mistaken  for 
an  advance  of  the  enemy,  was  fired  upon,  Jenkins  falling 
mortally  wounded,  and  Longstreet  being  shot  through 
shoulder  and  throat. 

Among  those  members  of  the  division  who  distin 
guished  themselves  in  less  prominent  positions  was  Colo 
nel  Eppa  Hunton  of  the  Eighth  Regiment.  Colonel 
Hunton  did  not  seem  to  find  his  long  experience  in  por 
ing  over  musty  files  in  a  law-office  any  obstacle  to  a  gal 
lant  military  career.  By  common  consent  of  humanity, 


218  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

law-files  are  always  regarded  as  "musty,"  though,  as  a 
matter  of  fact,  it  stands  to  reason  that  a  new  case  must 
occasionally  come  into  a  law-office. 

He  led  Pickett's  brigade  for  a  time  at  Gaines's  Mill 
when  its  commander  was  compelled  by  his  wound  to  leave 
the  field.  Colonel  Hunton  being  too  ill  to  retain  the  com 
mand,  it  devolved  upon  Colonel  John  B.  Strange,  of  the 
Nineteenth  Regiment.  At  Frazier's  Farm,  Colonel  Hun- 
ton  gave  the  order  to  charge,  but  as  he  was  too  weak  from 
illness  to  keep  up  with  the  command  it  again  fell  to  the 
direction  of  Colonel  Strange,  who  led  it  with  great  ability. 
Colonel  Strange  was  killed  at  South  Mountain. 

Colonel  Hunton  was  promoted  brigadier-general  in 
1863.  He  was  among  those  who  were  so  unfortunate  as 
to  be  captured  at  Sailor's  Creek,  the  last  chapter  in  the 
history  of  Pickett's  division. 

From  1872  until  1881,  Colonel  Hunton  was  a  member 
of  the  United  States  Congress,  and  served  upon  the  Elec 
toral  Commission. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

FREDERICKSBURG. 

After  the  battle  of  Antietam  General  Lee  reorganized 
his  army  into  corps  and  held  them  between  the  Potomac 
and  Winchester  through  most  of  the  month  of  October. 

On  the  8th  of  that  month  General  Stuart,  of  the  cav 
alry  force,  began  his  celebrated  circuit  of  McClellan's 
army,  leading  three  cavalry  brigades  across  the  Potomac 
and  on  to  Chambersburg — the  first  invasion  of  the  North. 
Stuart  seriously  disturbed  the  mental  equilibrium  of  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac,  cut  the  telegraph-wires,  so  that 
annoying  messages  in  regard  to  him  might  not  be  sent  to 
his  enemies,  destroyed  government  depots,  secured  pro 
visions,  and  returned  to  the  south  side  of  the  river  on  the 
I2th,  having  made  the  entire  round  with  a  loss  of  but  few 
of  his  men,  who  were  slightly  wounded  in  a  skirmish  with 
Pleasanton. 

On  the  26th  McClellan  moved  southward  and  crossed 
the  river  east  of  the  Blue  Ridge.  Longstreet  kept  a  cor 
responding  march  on  the  south  side,  while  Jackson 
guarded  the  passes.  McClellan  halted  at  Warrenton  on 
the  5th  of  November,  and  Longstreet,  with  the  divisions 
of  McLaws,  R.  H.  Anderson  and  Pickett,  arrived  at  the 
same  time  at  Culpeper  Court-house. 

On  the  day  that  McClellan  reached  Warrenton  orders 
were  issued  from  Washington  relieving  him  of  command 
and  appointing  General  Burnside  as  general-in-chief 
of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  Whatever  the  North  may 
have  thought  of  the  change,  the  Southern  leaders  were 

219 


220  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.         ^ 

of  the  opinion  that  the  removal  of  McClellan  was  fortu 
nate  for  their  cause. 

The  Army  of  the  Potomac,  through  all  its  disastrous 
career,  had  never  lost  faith  in  "  Little  Mac,"  as  it  fondly 
called  him.  If  securing  and  retaining  the  confidence  of 
his  men  is  a  proof  of  military  ability,  no  American  leader 
had  ever  been  more  fitted  for  his  responsible  position 
than  was  the  commander  whose  requisitions  upon  the 
military  department  at  Washington  had  won  for  his 
army  the  derisive  title  of  "The  Umbrella  Brigade." 

It  was  with  reluctance  that  General  Burnside  accepted 
an  appointment  which  he  had  twice  declined,  and  which 
would  thrust  upon  him  the  arduous  task  of  winning  the  men 
from  their  former  idol,  or  ensure  his  failure.  Subsequent 
events  seemed  to  indicate  that  he  had  done  well  in  twice 
declining,  and  might  have  done  better  by  persisting  in  that 
course.  However,  we  may  give  him  credit  for  having 
been  actuated  by  good  motives,  and  regard  his  subse 
quent  career  as  one  of  the  fortunes,  or  misfortunes,  of  war. 

Burnside  prepared  for  an  aggressive  movement  which 
might  prove  his  metal  and  secure  the  good  will  of  the 
nation  and  the  army.  He  consolidated  the  six  corps  of 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac  into  three  grand  divisions  of 
two  corps  each,  the  right  under  General  E.  V.  Sumner; 
the  center,  General  Joseph  Hooker;  the  left,  General  W. 
B.  Franklin.  He  spent  ten  days  in  reorganizing  and  get 
ting  under  control  his  dissatisfied  army,  who  placed  little 
confidence  in  his  plans.  Wearied  by  the  slow  prepara 
tions  of  his  predecessor  for  a  forward  movement  which 
never  took  him  anywhere,  the  administration  at  Washing 
ton  insisted  upon  knowing  what  the  new  commander  pur 
posed  doing.  In  response  to  this  demand,  Burnside 
labored  with  such  celerity  that  within  two  days  from  tak 
ing  command  his  plan  was  ready  to  be  submitted. 


FREDERICKSB  URG.  221 

This  plan  differed  from  that  which  Lee  was  expecting 
of  him.  The  Confederate  general  had  prepared  to  oppose 
a  movement  north  of  Culpeper  Court-house.  Burnside 
moved  south,  with  the  intention  of  crossing  the  Rap- 
pahannock  near  Fredericksburg  and  securing  a  position 
between  Lee's  army  and  Richmond,  designing  to  cut  off 
communication  and  prevent  the  Southern  army  from  gain 
ing  access  to  their  capital.  On  the  I5th,  he  began  to  put 
this  plan  into  operation,  attempting  to  conceal  it  by  a 
demonstration  on  Gordonsville. 

Lee  was  not  thus  to  be  deluded,  and  on  the  same  day 
the  Confederate  outpost  at  Fredericksburg  was  reinforced 
by  a  battery  of  artillery  and  a  regiment  of  infantry.  On 
the  1 7th,  Lee  received  information  that  the  right  division 
had  gone  south,  led  by  General  Sumner,  and  he  ordered 
General  W.  H.  F.  Lee's  cavalry  to  Fredericksburg. 

Fredericksburg  is  a  small  town,  at  that  time  of  about 
five  thousand  inhabitants,  situated  on  the  south  bank  of 
the  Rappahannock.  It  is  north  of  Richmond,  and  about 
half-way  between  Richmond  and  Washington.  Low  ranges 
of  hills  extend  along  the  river;  on  the  north,  they  are 
close  to  and  parallel  with  the  stream;  on  the  south  they 
stretch  backward  from  the  river  and  inclose  a  plain  six 
miles  long  and  nearly  three  miles  wide;  above  the  river 
they  rise  boldly  and  present  a  rugged,  unforested  front; 
eastward  they  are  lower  and  wooded,  and  spurs,  covered 
with  a  growth  of  trees,  run  down  to  the  plain. 

Had  nature  formed  the  design  of  creating  an  appro 
priate  location  for  a  victorious  army,  she  could  have  suc 
ceeded  no  better  than  she  did  in  her  operations  upon  the 
south  of  the  Rappahannock  River  at  Fredericksburg.  In 
front  were  bold,  bare  crests,  on  whose  natural  ramparts 
artillery  might  be  placed  to  hurl  destruction  upon  the 
helpless  plain  below.  On  the  flanks  the  woodland  spread 


222  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

out  its  sheltering  arms  to  screen  troops  from  the  fire  of 
an  attacking  party.  The  hand  of  man  had  come  to  the 
assistance  of  nature  in  rearing  this  gigantic  fortification, 
and  had  constructed,  probably  for  some  peaceful  purpose 
now  unknown,  a  road  guarded  by  a  stone  wall.  Behind 
this  wall  a  force  of  musketry  might  be  concealed,  from 
which  an  incessant  fusillade  could  be  kept  up,  with  no  pos 
sibility  of  an  effective  counter-fire. 

On  the  i8th,  one  of  Longstreet's  divisions  under  Mc- 
Laws  set  out  for  Fredericksburg,  another  under  Ransom 
marching  toward  the  North  Anna.  The  next  day,  finding 
that  the  whole  Union  army  was  on  the  way  to  Fredericks- 
burg,  Lee  ordered  the  remaining  divisions  to  go  forward. 
On  the  iQth,  Longstreet  took  possession  of  the  heights 
of  Fredericksburg,  thereby  securing  an  advantage  which 
assured  him  the  victory,  those  hills  being  invincible  when 
well  fortified.  There  was  Longstreet  on  the  2ist  day  of 
November,  when  General  Sumner  called  Fredericksburg 
to  surrender. 

In  the  meantime,  Burnside  had  reached  Falmouth, 
where  he  intended  to  cross.  Here  he  was  delayed  by  the 
fact  that  the  bridges  had  been  destroyed  by  heavy  rains, 
and  the  pontoons  which  had  been  ordered  from  Washing 
ton  had  failed  to  arrive,  by  reason  of  a  mistake  as  to  whose 
duty  it  was  to  send  them  forward,  and  the  indifference  of 
the  commander-in-chief  as  to  whether  they  went  forward 
or  not.  While  Burnside  waited  with  what  patience  he 
might,  Lee's  army  beyond  the  river  busied  itself  in  forti 
fying  the  heights. 

On  the  igth  of  November,  Franklin  and  Hooker  en 
camped  about  ten  miles  from  Falmouth  on  the  northeast 
side  of  the  river,  Franklin  at  Stafford  Court-house  and 
Hooker  at  Hartwood.  The  Federal  batteries,  one  hundred 
and  forty-seven  siege-guns  and  long-range  field-batteries 


FREDERICKSBURG.  22$ 

were  posted  on  Stafford  Heights,  a  range  of  hills  through 
which  the  Rappahannock  flows  a  little  more  than  a  mile 
above  Fredericksburg. 

On  the  opposite  bank  the  brigade  of  McLaws  was 
picketed.  Lower  down  the  river  were  extended  parts  of 
the  divisions  of  R.  H.  Anderson  and  Hood,  supporting 
Stuart's  cavalry.  The  Confederate  left  was  on  Taylor's 
Hill  on  a  level  with  Stafford  Heights  on  the  northern  bank. 
General  Longstreet  rested  on  Marye's  Hill,  just  south  of 
Fredericksburg. 

On  the  crest  of  Marye's  Hill  was  Colonel  Walton's 
Washington  Artillery,  supported  by  a  Georgia  rifle  regi 
ment  commanded  by  Colonel  McMillan,  an  Irish  officer. 
The  batteries  belted  the  height,  tier  upon  tier,  guarding 
the  approaches  to  Fredericksburg.  The  sunken  road  be 
low  with  its  wall  of  stone,  formed  a  defense  for  the  hill. 

On  the  heights  of  Fredericksburg  Lee,  confident  in  the 
invincibility  of  his  position,  awaited  with  serenity  the  at 
tack,  surrounded  by  more  than  three  hundred  guns  which 
looked  menacingly  down  upon  the  foe  from  all  nature's 
points  of  vantage.  In  the  valley  of  the  Massaponax  River, 
near  Hamilton's  Crossing,  General  Jackson  was  stationed. 
To  the  rear  of  his  left,  in  the  valley  of  Deep  Run,  was 
Hood's  division.  Thus  Fredericksburg  was  fortified  be~ 
fore  the  end  of  November,  and  the  battle  was  won  some 
three  weeks  before  the  first  shot  was  fired.  Looking  down 
from  the  crest  of  the  battery-encircled  hill  on  the  day  be 
fore  the  battle,  General  Longstreet's  chief  of  artillery, 
Colonel  Alexander,  said: 

"  We  will  comb  it  as  with  a  fine-tooth  comb.  A  chicken 
could  not  live  on  that  field  when  we  open  fire." 

Now  that  the  tables  were  so  effectually  turned,  and 
Lee  had  made  himself  completely  master  of  the  field 
which  Burnside  had  fondly  regarded  as  his  own,  the 


224  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.       . 

Federal  commander  might,  from  the  point  of  view  pre 
sented  by  military  prudence,  have  refrained  from  pushing 
his  project.  Urged  on  by  a  sense  of  what  was  required 
of  him  by  popular  opinion,  and  actuated  by  the  thought 
of  the  demoralization  which  would  follow  a  retreat  before 
the  first  blow  was  struck,  he  persisted  in  crossing. 

On  the  evening  of  the  gth  of  December,  he  called  a 
council  of  his  commanders  and  stated  his  intention  of  mak 
ing  a  direct  assault  upon  Marye's  Hill,  which  he  called 
the  key  of  the  enemy's  position.  Though  this  assemblage 
included  "  Fighting  Joe"  Hooker,  and  Sumner,  whose 
military  ardor  burned  all  the  more  fiercely  as  the  winds 
of  increasing  winters  fanned  its  flames,  not  one  voice  in 
the  council  gave  assent.  Those  gallant  veterans  knew 
that  the  key  to  the  Confederate  position  was  held  so 
tightly  in  the  hand  of  its  owner  that  any  attempt  to  turn 
the  lock  could  result  in  nothing  but  disaster  to  the  daring 
marauder. 

At  three  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  December  11,  the 
heavy  roll  of  cannon  from  Marye's  Hill  aroused  the  Con 
federate  army  to  the  fact  that  the  Federals  were  about 
to  cross  the  river.  D.  H.  Hill's  division  and  the  Second 
Corps  took  position  along  the  woodland  over  Hamilton's 
Crossing.  Barksdale's  Mississippians  and  three  regiments 
of  R.  H.  Anderson's  division  protected  the  river  line.  The 
curtain  of  mist  that  hung  between  the  opposing  armies 
was  not  so  heavy  but  that  Barksdale's  sword  of  flame 
could  pierce  it,  and  soon  the  passage  of  the  Federals  was 
suspended. 

Marye's  Hill  possessed  a  fatal  fascination  for  Burn- 
side,  and  he  persisted  in  crossing  under  its  frowning  crest 
instead  of  seeking  a  safer  place  to  effect  the  passage.  In 
the  hope  of  dislodging  the  Mississippians  he  ordered  the 
bombardment  of  Fredericksburg.  About  the  middle  of 


FREDERICKSBURG.  22$ 

the  day  the  lingering  purple  mist  grew  flame-red,  and  the 
two  armies  knew  that  the  town  was  on  fire. 

Not  until  three  regiments  had  gained  the  Confederate 
side  of  the  river  in  the  boats  that  had  not  yet  been  made 
a  part  of  the  bridge,  and  had  driven  back  the  Mississip- 
pians,  could  the  bridges  be  finished  and  the  army  set 
across,  having  suffered  heavy  loss  from  Lee's  sharp 
shooters.  The  Confederate  general  had  no  desire  seri 
ously  to  impede  the  passage  of  Burnside's  army,  having 
been  waiting  for  some  time  to  give  it  a  hospitable  recep 
tion,  but  he  had  no  objection  to  making  his  presence  felt 
in  the  meantime. 

Not  even  yet  satisfied  by  the  advantage  which  cir 
cumstances  and  the  blunders  of  his  adversary  had  given 
to  Lee,  Burnside  still  further  strengthened  the  Con 
federate  position  by  remaining  inactive  for  about  forty- 
eight  hours,  during  which  the  forces  upon  the  heights  were 
effectively  massed. 

For  two  days  the  Confederate  army  had  been  ready 
and  waiting  for  the  attack.  On  the  night  of  the  I2th, 
General  Jackson  had  concentrated  his  divisions  on  the 
field  and  the  whole  army  was  now  for  the  first  time  on  the 
ground.  On  the  afternoon  of  the  I2th,  A.  P.  Hill  had 
relieved  Hood  at  the  woods  near  Hamilton's  Crossing, 
Hood  was  stationed  on  the  heights  between  Deep  Run 
and  Hazel  Run,  and  Pickett's  division  took  position  at  the 
foot  of  the  hills  between  Hazel  Run  and  the  Telegraph 
Road,  which  extends  across  the  plain  and  leads  to  Rich 
mond.  Pickett's  command  was  under  arms,  waiting  for 
orders.  McLavvs's  and  Anderson's  line  was  reinforced  by 
Ransom,  and  Cooke's  brigade  was  at  the  left  of  the  stone 
wall.  Taliaferro's  brigade  formed  a  line  behind  A.  P, 
Hill. 

D.  H.  Hill  and  Ewell  arrived  at  dawn,  having  marched 

15 


.226  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

.  4) 

the  whole  of  the  night  of  the  I2th.  D.  H.  Hill  was  placed 
on  the  right,  behind  Taliaferro.  Ewell  took  position  with 
his  right  in  front  of  Hamilton's  Crossing.  The  Second 
Corps,  in  the  valley  of  the  Massaponax,  was  supported 
by  Stuart  with  eighteen  pieces  of  artillery. 

On  the  morning  of  the  I3th,  the  mists  had  risen  from 
the  river  and  lay,  a  heavy  purple  veil,  over  the  valley  of 
Fredericksburg.  Through  its  dense  folds  no  eye  of  friend 
or  foe  could  look.  Nature  had  put  on  her  mourning  veil, 
prophetic  of  the  bloody  day  that  was  to  follow. 

Through  the  heavy  curtain  Meade's  division  at  half  past 
eight,  supported  by  the  other  two  divisions  of  the  corps 
under  Gibbon  and  Doubleday,  moved  in  the  direction  of 
Jackson.  Their  march  was  slow,  being  delayed  by  their 
ignorance  of  the  ground,  which  was  broken  by  ravines. 
Through  the  dense  fog  the  commands  of  the  opposing  offi 
cers  were  distinctly  heard,  crossing  as  on  a  cloud  bridge 
between  the  terraced  heights  on  which  the  Confederates 
were  stationed  and  the  plain  where  the  Union  army  was 
struggling  through  the  mist  curtain  to  its  doom. 

At  ten  o'clock,  the  fog  lifted,  and  Stuart's  cannon  from 
the  plain  of  Massaponax  was  turned  full  upon  the  solid 
ranks  of  Meade's  division,  compelling  it  to  halt  until 
Meade's  artillery  could  repel  the  fire.  While  the  artillery 
duel  went  on,  Meade  advanced  and  gained  some  ground, 
but  the  gallant  defense  of  Early,  combined  with  the  rem 
nant  of  A.  P.  Hill's  command,  forced  him  to  retreat. 
Jackson's  line  had  engaged  with  Meade,  and  Pickett,  re 
garding  this  as  the  signal  for  an  advance  of  his  division 
in  conjunction  with  Hood's,  went  to  that  leader  and  rep 
resented  that  the  time  had  arrived,  as  provided  for  before 
the  action  began,  but  Hood  was  slow  in  taking  that  view 
and  the  opportunity  was  lost. 

While  the  battle  was  raging  around  the  woodland  near 


FREDERICKSBURG.  22; 

Hamilton's  Crossing,  a  still  more  bloody  struggle  was  tak 
ing  place  on  the  height  opposite  the  town.  When  the 
mist  that  had  filled  the  valley  with  evanescent  beauty 
cleared  away,  Burnside,  from  his  headquarters  beyond  the 
river,  looked  across  to  the  fair  object  of  his  ambition, 
Marye's  Hill.  As  the  last  purple  wreath  of  mist  floated 
gracefully  upward  in  the  soft  breeze,  the  brilliant  rays  of 
the  sun  struck  blinding  flashes  from  the  long  gleaming 
lines  of  bayonets  far  up  on  the  ramparts  of  the  hill.  From 
its  triple  terraces  circle  upon  circle  of  Confederate  guns 
looked  down  menacingly  upon  the  valley. 

The  mist  has  quite  left  the  vale;  it  no  more  hangs  like 
a  circling  mantle  of  love  about  the  heights  to  guard  it 
from  the  ravages  of  opposing  armies.  For  a  moment 
Marye's  Hill  stands  silent,  majestic,  bathed  in  the  light 
of  the  sun.  Then  a  cloud  drifts  slowly  up  from  its  in 
trenched  terraces  and  rises  to  its  summit  where  it  rests 
like  an  opal  crown  with  sapphirine  tints  glinting  through. 
It  is  not  the  mist;  that  has  floated  away  forever.  It  hangs 
ominously  over  the  stately  head  of  Marye's  Hill.  It  is 
the  first  greeting  of  Walton's  batteries  to  the  Union  sol 
diers  massed  in  the  town  below. 

Will  Burnside  heed  the  warning?  "Whom  the  gods 
wish  to  destroy  they  first  make  mad."  From  the  head 
quarters  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  beyond  the  peaceful 
river  rippling  on  its  silvery  way  in  the  light  of  the  sun, 
came  the  signal  for  the  first  movement  in  one  of  the  mad 
dest,  bravest,  most  reckless,  most  daring,  and  most  hope 
less  charges  that  ever  threw  a  blood-stain  across  the  pages 
of  the  world's  history. 

Under  the  consuming  flame  which  flashed  forth  from 
all  the  batteries  of  McLaws,  French's  columns  dashed  to 
the  assault,  cut  through  and  through  by  cannon-ball  until 
they  reached  within  the  range  of  musket-shot,  when  the 


228  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.      . 

infantry  opened  fire  upon  them,  a  man  falling  for  every 
shot  that  sped  its  way  through  the  battle-charged  air. 

From  Stafford's  Heights  Hunt's  artillery  was  trying  to 
stop  the  storm  of  shot  and  shell  from  Marye's  Hill,  but  in 
vain.  After  a  futile  effort  he  silenced  his  own  guns  lest 
they  destroy  friend  instead  of  foe.  The  assaulting  party 
could  not  pass  beyond  the  deadly  rain  that  showered  upon 
them  from  the  musket-lined  stone  wall  that  guarded  the 
ramparts  of  the  hill.  They  retired,  leaving  one-third  of 
their  number  on  the  ground,  and  three  Union  flags  to  mark 
their  furthest  advance  line  and  flutter  out  upon  the  smoke- 
filled  air  a  mute  call  for  support. 

Up  the  steep  and  slippery  heights  rushed  Hancock's 
men,  led  by  their  commander,  their  eyes  fixed  upon  the 
stars  on  the  blue  field  of  their  banner,  shining  down  up 
on  the  dead.  From  every  cannon-crowned  rampart  of 
Marye's  Hill  a  storm  of  shot  and  shell  burst  upon  them, 
covering  the  valley  with  slain. 

Meagher's  Irish  brigade  dashed  out  from  Fredericks- 
burg  and  formed  in  the  deadly  rain  from  the  batteries 
on  the  crested  heights.  A  correspondent  of  the  London 
Times,  watching  the  battle  from  the  hill,  and  writing  after 
ward  from  Lee's  headquarters,  says  of  the  gallant  brigade 
of  the  heroic  sons  of  Ireland: 

Never  at  Fontenoy,  Albuera,  nor  at  Waterloo,  was  more  undoubted 
courage  displayed  by  the  sons  of  Erin  than  during  those  six  frantic 
dashes  which  they  directed  against  the  almost  impregnable  position  of 
their  foe.  .  .  .  The  bodies  which  lie  in  dense  masses  within  forty 
yards  of  the  muzzles  of  Colonel  Walton's  guns  are  the  best  evidence  of 
what  manner  of  men  they  were  who  pressed  on  to  death  with  the  daunt- 
lessness  of  a  race  which  has  gained  glory  on  a  thousand  battle-fields,  and 
never  more  richly  deserved  it  than  at  the  foot  of  Marye's  Heights  on  the 
i3th  day  of  December,  1862. 

In   his   official    report   Meagher    says:      "Of  the  one 


FREDERICKSBURG.  22Q 

thousand  and  two  hundred  I  led  into  action,  only  two 
hundred  and  eighty  appeared  on  parade  next  morning." 

Speaking  of  the  character  of  the  Irish  as  soldiers,  Gen 
eral  Lee  says:  "  Cleburne,  on  our  side,  inherited  the  intre 
pidity  of  his  race.  On  a  field  of  battle  he  shone  like  a 
meteor  in  a  clouded  sky.  As  a  dashing  military  man,  he 
was  all  virtue;  a  single  vice  did  not  stain  him  as  a  warrior. 
His  generosity  and  benevolence  had  no  limits.  The  care 
which  he  took  of  the  fortunes  of  his  officers  and  soldiers, 
from  the  greatest  to  the  least,  was  incessant.  His  integ 
rity  was  proverbial,  and  his  modesty  was  an  equally  con 
spicuous  trait  in  his  character.  Meagher,  on  your  side, 
though  not  Cleburne's  equal  in  military  genius,  rivaled 
him  in  bravery  and  in  the  affections  of  his  soldiers.  The 
gallant  stand  which  his  bold  brigade  made  on  the  heights 
of  Fredericksburg  is  well  known.  Never  were  men  so 
brave.  They  ennobled  their  race  by  their  splendid  gal 
lantry  on  that  desperate  occasion.  Though  totally  routed, 
they  reaped  harvests  of  glory.  Their  brilliant,  though 
hopeless,  assaults  on  our  lines  excited  the  hearty  applause 
of  our  officers  and  soldiers." 

It  has  been  estimated  that  on  that  portion  of  the  plain 
over  which  the  Union  forces  charged  upon  the  heights 
of  Fredericksburg  the  killed  and  wounded,  on  the  night 
of  the  I3th,  averaged  a  thousand  to  the  acre  —  one  out  of 
every  twenty  being  a  soldier  of  the  Irish  brigade. 

For  the  first  time  the  Irish  brigade  went  into  battle 
unsheltered  by  the  flag  of  Erin,  that  has  waved  over 
deeds  of  Irish  heroism  on  the  battle-fields  of  every  nation 
on  the  globe,  the  Twenty-eighth  Massachusetts  being  the 
only  regiment  that  bore  the  national  colors.  The  flags 
of  the  other  regiments  had  been  sent  to  New  York,  that 
their  tattered  folds  might  be  cherished  in  sacred  memory 
of  Gaelic  virtue;  a  new  set  of  colors  had  been  provided 


230  PICKETT  AND  211  S  MEN. 

by  a  number  of  Americans,  in  testimony  of  their  apprecia 
tion  of  the  gallant  sons  of  Erin,  but  had  failed  to  arrive 
in  time  for  the  battle.  Meagher,  however,  would  not 
permit  his  men  to  go  into  action  unguarded  by  the  color 
sacred  to  their  own  dear  Emerald  Isle,  so  he  placed  in  his 
own  cap  a  sprig  of  evergreen  and  each  man  followed  his 
example. 

In  the  attack  of  Howard's  division  the  Confederate 
commander,  General  Cobb,  was  killed.  At  the  same  time 
General  Cooke  was  seriously  wounded.  Ransom's  brigade 
came  to  the  relief  of  Cooke's;  McLaws  sent  Kershaw  to 
the  assistance  of  Cobb's  troops.  Pickett  and  the  troops 
posted  at  the  south  angle  of  Marye's  Hill  were  keeping 
up  a  lively  fire  with  Sturgis  and  Getty,  who  were  also  sub 
jected  to  a  cross-fire  from  Hood  and  McLaws. 

The  battle  which  had  been  practically  won  weeks  be 
fore  when  Longstreet  first  posted  his  men  on  Marye's 
Hill  was  now  dedicated  to  the  Confederates  by  a  chrism 
of  fire,  but  Burnside  would  not  believe  it.  From  beyond 
the  river  he  viewed  the  contest,  ignorant  of  the  ground, 
knowing  nothing  of  the  insurmountable  obstacles  to  a 
successful  attack  on  the  height,  and  unwilling  to  believe 
what  was  told  him  by  those  who  had  survived  the  attempt, 
saying  to  Hooker:  "That  crest  must  be  carried  to 
night."  Hooker  knew  that  it  was  impossible,  and  Han 
cock,  French  and  the  other  officers,  including  the  fiery 
Sumner,  agreed  with  him,  but  Burnside  had  determined 
upon  another  assault,  and  was  immovable. 

For  the  first  time  in  his  military  career  "  Fighting  Joe" 
was  averse  to  living  up  to  the  soubriquet  which  he  had 
won  by  gallant  deeds  on  the  field.  Resolved  upon  saving 
his  men,  if  possible,  and  at  least  throwing  off  the  responsi 
bility  for  their  sacrifice,  he  adopted  the  strong  measure  of 
making  a  personal  appeal  to  the  commander  of  the  Army 


FREDERICKSB  URG.  231 

of  the  Potomac.  Pleasanton  saw  him  ride  up  on  his  white 
steed,  and  said  that  when  Hooker  dismounted  he  was  the 
maddest  man  he  ever  saw;  he  made  the  air  blue  with  ad 
jectives.  Burnside,  bent  upon  self-destruction,  would  not 
yield,  and  Hooker  went  back  with  the  old  order  ringing 
in  his  ears:  "That  crest  must  be  carried  to-night." 

In  the  fast-falling  shadows  of  the  night  Hooker  began 
a  fire  of  artillery,  hoping,  as  he  said,  to  make  "a  hole  suf 
ficiently  large  for  a  forlorn  hope  to  enter,"  with  no  more 
impression  "than  if  it  had  been  made  against  a  mountain 
of  rock." 

The  Confederate  artillery  on  the  crest  had  ceased  firing 
through  failure  of  ammunition. 

At  sunset  Humphreys  with  four  thousand  men  pushed 
onward,  ignorant  of  the  sunken  road  before  him,  where 
a  line  of  infantry  four  deep  was  ranged,  protected  from 
view  and  from  attack  by  the  stone-lined  road.  A  short 
distance  from  this  road  the  Union  column  fell  before  a 
solid  sheet  of  flame  and  bullets  that  burst  forth  from 
the  Confederate  front.  And  there,  before  Marye's  Hill, 
were  piled  the  Union  dead  and  wounded.  Hooker  ob 
serves  with  grim  sarcasm:  "Finding  that  I  had  lost  as 
many  men  as  my  orders  required,  I  suspended  the  at 
tack." 

In  making  this  assault,  Hooker  knew  that  he  was 
violating  one  of  Napoleon's  most  important  rules  of  war 
fare,  "  Never  do  anything  which  the  enemy  wishes  you  to 
do,"  as,  in  addition  to  having  learned  Lee's  wishes  by  a  sad 
experience,  he,  Burnside,  and  Sumner  had  all  been  in 
formed  that  morning  of  the  desire  of  Lee  in  regard  to  the 
attack.  Being  under  orders,  he  could  do  nothing  but 
push  on. 

It  had  taken  Burnside  less  than  ninety  days  to  plan 
and  lose  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg,  to  efface  the  glory 


232  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.        » 

of  his  own  military  career,  and  to  project  a  yet  further 
assault  upon  the  victorious  Confederates,  which  would 
have  resulted  in  a  demoralization  of  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  from  which  it  would  probably  never  have  re 
covered.  Fortunately  for  him  and  the  North,  the  strong 
opposition  of  his  generals  prevented  his  carrying  into 
effect  this  crowning  blunder,  which  he  had  carefully 
planned  for  the  I4th. 

Longstreet  has  said:  "They  fully  expected  Burnside 
would  renew  the  battle  the  next  day.  They  knew  that 
another  day  would  nearly  ruin  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 
If  Burnside  would  attack  such  a  strongly  fortified  posi 
tion,  it  was  reasonable  to  suppose  that  he  would  repeat 
his  folly  the  next  day." 

This  would  seem  to  indicate  that  Lee  and  his  generals 
had  a  realizing  sense  of  the  military  acumen  of  their  ad 
versary. 

Lee  himself  was  too  astute  to  leave  his  strong  position 
and  descend  to  the  open  plain  to  attack  upon  a  level  a 
beaten  foe  who  might  suddenly  change  from  conquered 
to  conqueror,  so  the  two  armies  watched  each  other  in 
sullen  silence  until  the  night  of  the  1 5th,  when  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac  recrossed  the  river. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

"DOGS  OF  WAR"  IN  LEASH. 

Pickett's  division  was  composed  of  Garnett's,  Armi- 
stead's,  Kemper's  and  Corse's  Virginia  brigades,  and  Jen 
kins's  (formerly  R.  H.  Anderson's)  South  Carolina  brigade. 

The  division,  as  a  division,  was  on  a  field  of  battle  for 
the  first  time  December  13,  1862,  at  the  battle  of  Fred- 
ericksburg,  where  it  held  in  reserve  the  center  of  Long- 
street's  corps  and,  though  it  was  eager  and  impatient  to 
be  allowed  to  take  part  in  the  fight,  it  was  never  fully 
reached. 

General  Longstreet  gave  instructions  to  his  division 
commanders,  Pickett  and  Hood,  simply  to  hold  their 
ground  in  defense,  unless  they  should  see  an  opportunity 
to  attack  the  enemy  while  engaged  with  A.  P.  Hill  on 
the  right. 

Pickett  saw  this  opportunity  when  Franklin's  column 
advanced  on  the  extreme  right  just  a  little  beyond  their 
front,  thus  leaving  the  enemy's  flank  open,  and,  pointing 
it  out  to  Hood,  suggested  that  it  was  the  opportune  time, 
and  that  they  should  at  once  turn  their  forces  upon 
Franklin's  column  in  the  open  field  through  which  they 
were  forced  to  pass. 

General  Pickett  in  person  made  the  suggestion  to 
Hood,  pointing  out  the  advantages  of  the  movement,  and 
the  eagerness  of  the  men  in  leash  to  be  allowed  to  take  a 
part,  and  urged  that  they  should  avail  themselves  of  the 
optional  privileges  of  the  directions  left  them  by  Long- 
street.  Hood  perfectly  agreed  with  Pickett  as  to  the  op- 

233 


234  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

portuneness  and  advantages  of  the  attack  but,  being  more 
cautious  and  chary  of  assuming  responsibility  than  Pickett, 
insisted  upon  first  sending  a  brief  of  their  intentions  to- 
General  Longstreet,  who  was  with  General  Lee  in  another 
part  of  the  field  watching  the  progress  of  the  battle,  ask 
ing  him  if,  in  the  detailed  circumstances,  they  should  not 
at  once  push  in  with  their  divisions.  Any  delay  at  such 
a  moment  was,  of  course,  disastrous,  and  before  the  as 
sent  of  General  Longstreet  was  obtained  and  the  order 
given  the  opportunity  was  lost. 

The  strength  of  the  division  at  the  time  of  its  forma 
tion  was  about  nine  thousand,  though  only  a  part  of  one 
brigade  of  the  division  (Kemper's)  was  actively  engaged 
in  this  their  first  battle  as  a  division  —  the  battle  of  Fred- 
ericksburg.  The  casualties  of  the  battle,  as  a  division, 
were  of  course  trifling,  but  enough,  alas,  to  make  many  a 
heart  ache,  many  a  hearthstone  desolate.  About  forty- 
seven  wounded,  dead  and  dying  were  found  near  the 
"stone  fence"  at  Marye's  Hill. 

The  fearless  Federal  commander,  Burnside,  was  bold,, 
determined  and  fierce  in  his  attack,  and  had  he  been  drawn 
still  deeper  into  the  toils  which  had  been  set  for  him  on 
this  field  of  battle  by  our  General  Lee,  it  is  more  than 
probable  that  his  whole  army  would  have  been  destroyed. 
General  Lee's  position  was  so  strongly  and  so  thoroughly 
protected  that  General  Burnside's  attack  was  repulsed 
with  great  loss  at  every  point.  Only  a  portion  of  Lee's 
first  line,  near  Hamilton's  Crossing,  was  driven  back  by 
Franklin's  daring  assault  upon  it,  but  even  that  ground 
Lee  at  once  recovered. 

Pickett's  division  remained  bivouacked  in  the  rear,, 
picketing  the  Rappahannock  River  below  Fredericksburg. 
Then  it  was  removed  to  the  left  to  meet  Burnside's  at 
tempted  crossing  at  Banks's  Ford. 


"DOGS  OF  WAR"  IN  LEASH.  235 

In  the  early  part  of  February,  1863,  it  started  out  on 
Longstreet's  expedition  to  Suffolk,  Virginia,  and  North 
Carolina,  marching  to  Richmond  and  thence  to  the  breast 
works  around  Petersburg,  where  it  made  but  a  short  stay, 
and  then  pushed  ahead  to  further  the  end  conceived  by 
the  wise,  practical  brain  and  great  tender  heart  of  Old 
Peter,  their  stern  but  humane  commander,  to  procure  food 
for  his  men. 

It  was  hard  winter  weather,  cold,  inclement  and  trying, 
and  during  their  continued  march  of  ten  days  the  ground 
was  covered  with  sleet  and  snow.  Hundreds  of  the  men 
were  without  shoes,  blankets  or  hats.  Many  were  shod 
with  improvised  moccasins  of  raw  beef-hide.  The  wives, 
mothers,  sisters  and  friends  of  Pickett's  men  could  scarcely 
have  recognized  in  these  bedraggled,  muddy,  ragged  men 
the  trim,  dainty  soldier-boys  whom  they  had  sent  out  from 
their  homes  to  win  fame  and  glory  two  years  before,  dressed 
then  in  their  new  uniforms,  with  shining  equipments,  with 
knapsacks  and  haversacks  well  stuffed  by  loving  hands, 
and  almost  every  man  taking  with  him  cook  and  valet. 

They  had  won  fame  and  glory  beyond  the  most  san 
guine  conception,  and  that  they  were  heroes  and  warriors, 
showed  in  their  will-power  and  endurance,  in  the  moral 
firmness  with  which,  without  halt  or  straggling,  they 
passed  through  Richmond  and  all  along  the  lines  of  their 
homes,  receiving  the  cheers  and  hurried  greetings  of  their 
many  relatives  and  friends  whom  they  had  not  seen  for 
months  and  might  never  see  again. 

Even  now  they  could  give  to  those  dear  ones  only  a 
fleeting  recognition  from  the  ranks,  a  passing  smile  of 
grateful  thanks  for  the  loving  note,  the  flower,  or  the  piece 
of  bread  and  meat  which  was  hastily  thrust  into  their 
hands  as  tramp,  tramp,  tramp,  they  marched  away  once 
again  from  home  and  friends. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

FORAGING    EXPEDITION  — SUFFOLK. 

Knowing  the  needs  of  his  men,  and  having  their  com 
fort  at  heart,  Longstreet  called  to  mind  that  Dalgetty, 
the  prince  and  prototype  of  the  military  Bohemian,  as 
signed  the  highest  place  in  the  soldier's  scale  to  "  rations." 
When  proof  beyond  peradventure  was  brought  to  him 
that,  stored  away  in  the  northeastern  counties  of  North 
Carolina,  were  large  quantities  of  corn  and  bacon,  he  may 
have  remembered  the  "lean  and  hungry  Cassius."  He 
may  have  surmised  that,  the  record  of  history  to  the  con 
trary  notwithstanding,  the  Romans  conquered  the  world 
because  they  were  generous  feeders;  that  Napoleon  lost 
Waterloo  because  of  an  empty,  aching  stomach;  that  the 
rice  of  the  Hindoos  and  the  potato  of  the  Irish  could  not 
fight  against  roast  beef. 

Longstreet  determined  that,  if  it  was  possible,  he 
would  procure  for  his  half-fed  Confederates  these  tempt 
ing  provisions.  After  mature  deliberation,  he  planned  to 
make  a  strong  demonstration  against  Suffolk,  Virginia, 
and  at  the  same  time  to  send  troops  into  North  Carolina, 
and  wagon-trains  to  procure  and  bring  out  these  coveted 
supplies,  even  though  the  price  should  be  blood. 

With  that  end  in  view,  Pickett's  and  Hood's  divisions 
of  Longstreet's  corps  had  been  detached  from  the  Army 
of  Northern  Virginia,  leaving  McLaws's  division,  also  of 
his  corps,  behind  at  Fredericksburg  with  General  Lee. 
Hood's  division  and  Jenkins's  brigade  of  Pickett's  division 
went  to  Suffolk  direct.  Armistead's  and  Corse's  brigades 

236 


FORAGING  EXPEDITION— SUFFOLK.  237 

of  Pickett's  division  went  via  the  James  River  and  the  line 
of  the  Norfolk  and  Petersburg  Railroad  toward  Suffolk. 
Bearing's  artillery,  which  was  attached  to  Pickett's  divi 
sion,  and  all  the  available  artillery  around  and  about 
Petersburg  were  sent  to  Suffolk  direct.  Garnett's  and 
Kemper's  brigades  went  on  separate  expeditions  into 
eastern  North  Carolina. 

Suffolk,  a  small  town  established  by  law  in  1742,  was 
burned  by  order  of  Sir  Henry  Clinton  in  1779.  It  is  on 
a  line  of  railroad,  and  is  about  eighteen  miles  from  Nor 
folk  and  eighty-five  from  Richmond.  It  has  a  consider 
able  share  of  the  commerce  of  North  Carolina.  All  of  that 
section  of  the  country  was  in  quiet  possession  of  the  Fed 
eral  forces  at  the  time  of  Longstreet's  expedition,  and  had 
been  since  the  capture  of  Roanoke  Island  by  the  Federals 
and  the  abandonment  of  Norfolk  and  Suffolk  by  the  Con 
federates.  The  Confederate  lines  extended  only  to  the 
Blackwater  River  on  the  east,  where  a  small  body  of  Con 
federate  troops  was  stationed  to  keep  the  Federal  force 
in  check. 

Longstreet's  strategical  maneuver  was  a  great  success 
and  benefaction  to  the  country,  and  was  accomplished 
thus: 

In  March,  1863,  he  threatened  Suffolk  in  front,  and 
kept  its  garrison  so  successfully  within  their  own  strong 
works,  almost  without  any  material  opposition,  that  he 
took  out  and  carried  off  wagon-train  after  wagon-train  of 
corn  and  bacon.  There  was  no  distinct  battle  fought,  and 
no  prolonged  engagement  during  this  foraging  expedi 
tion,  though  all  through  the  entire  period  there  was  a  great 
deal  of  heavy  skirmishing,  and  frequent  sallies  from  time 
to  time  were  made  by  the  Federal  force  from  Suffolk,  but 
they  were  always  driven  back  with  heavy  loss. 

The  price  of  the  bacon  and  corn  for  the  Gray  was  the 


238  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

^ 

blood  of  the  Blue  and  the  Gray,  yet  who  can  say  that  it  was, 
under  the  circumstances,  unnecessarily  high?  There  are 
many  functions  of  civilized  life  which  can  be  postponed 
to  more  convenient  occasions,  but  dining  is  not  one  of 
them.  If  it  be  true  that  the  soul  of  man,  as  some  philos 
ophers  assert,  is  located  in  the  stomach,  how  few  will  be 
lost  through  the  voluntary  neglect  of  this  tabernacle  of 
the  Holy  Ghost. 

The  Confederate  loss  in  officers  and  men  was  consider 
able,  but  the  saddest  loss,  saddest  because  it  seemed  so 
unnecessary,  was  the  loss  of  the  Fauquier  Artillery  (Strib- 
ling's  battery)  attached  to  Pickett's  division. 

The  battery  had  been  detached  by  the  order  of  General 
French,  commander  of  artillery,  and  placed  in  an  old 
earthwork  on  the  Nansemond  River  far  in  advance  of  our 
lines,  situated  on  a  point  of  land  unprotected  in  the  rear. 
The  battery  was  supported  only  by  two  small  companies 
of  infantry. 

Two  gunboats  of  the  Federals  attempted  to  run  by  this 
battery,  one  of  which  was  sunk  and  the  other  driven  away. 
The  Federals  made  no  other  attempt  to  pass,  but  for  two 
days  and  nights  kept  up  a  heavy  and  incessant  fire  from 
their  gunboats  and  land  batteries.  Under  cover  of  this 
fire  they  landed  three  of  their  regiments  in  the  rear  of  the 
isolated  and  indefensible  position.  After  a  fierce  resist 
ance  the  gallant  little  Confederate  band,  cut  off  and  over 
whelmed,  fighting  hand  to  hand  at  the  guns,  were  all  either 
killed  or  made  prisoners,  except  the  drivers  with  the  bat 
tery  horses  under  Lieutenant  Carroll,  who,  being  some 
distance  in  the  rear,  managed  to  make  their  escape. 

The  battery  was  one  of  the  finest  in  the  service,  having 
been  captured  by  us  from  the  Federals.  It  consisted  of 
five  magnificent  guns  —  three  brass  Napoleons  and  two 
twenty-four  pound  howitzers,  all  of  which  were  recaptured. 


FORAGING  EXPEDITION— SUFFOLK.     -  239 

Captain  Stribling  was  in  no  way  responsible  for  the  sacri 
fice  of  his  men  or  the  loss  of  his  battery.  He  simply 
obeyed  the  orders  of  his  commander,  General  French. 

On  the  4th  of  May,  General  Longstreet,  the  old  "War- 
horse  of  the  Confederacy,"  or  "  Old  Peter,"  as  he  was 
more  commonly  called,  having  successfully  accomplished 
the  object  of  his  maneuver,  and  secured  quantities  of 
meat  and  grain  even  beyond  his  most  sanguine  expecta 
tions,  quietly  withdrew  his  whole  force  from  Suffolk.  So 
stealthily  was  this  done  that  our  soldiers  were  across 
Blackwater  River  before  the  Federal  troops  were  aware 
that  we  had  gone. 

Hood's  division  was  hurried  on  from  Blackwater  River 
:by  rail  to  rejoin  Lee's  army,  who  had  just  gained  a  vic 
tory  at  Chancellorsville.  Pickett's  division  had  orders 
to  follow,  when  information  was  brought  that  raiding  cav 
alry  was  passing  down  the  south  side  of  James  River  en 
route  to  Suffolk,  and  a  peremptory  order  came  to  Pickett 
to  proceed  by  the  Jerusalem  plank  road  to  Petersburg 
with  three  brigades  of  his  division  and  intercept  the  riders. 

With  that  end  in  view  the  division,  with  the  exception 
of  Jenkins's  brigade  which,  much  against  General  Pickett's 
will,  was  left  on  the  Blackwater  River,  marched  to  Peters 
burg.  The  report  was  false.  There  was  no  cavalry  raid. 
Pickett's  division,  without  Jenkins's  brigade,  marched 
through  Petersburg  and  on  to  Richmond,  to  rejoin  the 
Army  of  Northern  Virginia  at  Culpeper  Court-house. 

On  the  1st  of  June,  1863,  after  four  months  of  hard 
ship,  marching  all  the  way,  going  and  coming,  three 
brigades  of  Pickett's  division  were  on  nearly  the  same 
ground  they  had  left  in  the  winter.  Almost  immediately 
afterward  they  started  on  that  disastrous  Pennsylvania 
•campaign. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

CHANCELLORSVILLE. 

The  military  star  of  the  Federal  commander,  Burn- 
side,  had  gone  down  in  the  sea  of  blood  that  followed  the 
reckless  and  fatal  charge  upon  the  heights  of  Fredericks- 
burg.  Two  days  after  the  sun  had  set  on  what  the  cor 
respondent  of  the  London  Times  called  that  "  memorable 
day  to  the  historian  of  the  decline  and  fall  of  the  Ameri 
can  Republic,"  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  recrossed  the 
Rappahannock,  alleged  to  be  defeated,  broken,  spiritless. 

After  the  battle  desertions  became  startlingly  numer 
ous.  The  soldiers  had  not  been  paid  for  six  months,  and 
the  letters  which  came  from  home  told  sad  tales  of  the 
destitution  and  suffering  of  the  loved  ones  who  were  to 
have  been  provided  for  as  a  reward  for  the  sacrifices 
which  their  natural  protectors  were  making  for  their  coun 
try.  Friends  at  home  sent  citizens'  clothes  in  which  the 
soldier-boys  might  escape  from  a  service  that  was  grow 
ing  intolerably  burdensome. 

The  subordinate  generals  were  severe  in  their  criti 
cisms  of  the  new  commander,  and  assisted  in  nurturing  the 
growing  discontent.  Some  of  them  represented  the  con 
dition  in  its  most  discouraging  view  to  the  President  in 
Washington. 

General  Burnside  was  absorbed  in  plans  for  regaining 
the  confidence  of  the  army  and  of  his  chiefs  in  Washing 
ton.  He  formed  a  design  for  crossing  the  river  below 
Fredericksburg,  sending  the  cavalry  under  Averell  to  the 
Rapidan  to  cross  at  Kelly's  Ford  and  destroy  communica- 

240 


CHANCELL  ORSVILLE.  24 1 

tion  between  General  Lee  and  the  Confederate  capital. 
The  objection  to  this  plan  was  that  it  necessitated  cross 
ing  in  view  of  the  Southern  army,  for  Lee  could  not  be 
depended  upon  to  keep  his  eyes  shut  while  the  movement 
was  being  effected. 

On  the  3<Dth  of  December,  Averell,  with  the  cavalry, 
was  at  Kelly's  Ford  and  the  infantry  was  ready  to  move 
when  Burnside  received  an  order  from  the  President  pro 
hibiting  him  from  taking  any  action  without  consulting 
him.  The  commander  offered  his  resignation,  which  was 
not  accepted.  He  asked  permission  of  the  President 
either  to  resign  or  to  move  forward.  Mr.  Lincoln  con 
sented  to  the  advance,  and  Burnside  proceeded  to  put 
into  operation  a  new  plan  which  involved  the  passage  of 
the  river  above  Fredericksburg,  and  the  surprise  of  Lee, 
who  expected  him  to  cross  at  a  lower  point.  In  prepara 
tion  for  this  movement  Sigel's  corps  was  appointed  to 
guard  Falmouth,  and  Couch  was  to  make  a  demonstration 
below  Fredericksburg  to  divert  the  attention  of  the  Con 
federates.  Roads  were  constructed.  Banks's  Ford,  above 
Fredericksburg,  was  selected  as  the  point  for  crossing, 
and  on  January  20,  Franklin  and  Hooker  bivouacked  near 
that  point.  Banks's  Ford  is  a  ford  only  in  summer.  In 
January  it  must  be  crossed  on  bridges.  All  of  the  2Oth 
was  spent  in  preparing  for  the  passage. 

Had  the  movement  begun  three  days  earlier,  or  had 
the  good  weather  prevailed  three  days  longer,  Burnside 
might  have  had  opportunity  to  fight  down  all  the  resent 
ment  which  resulted  from  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg. 
On  the  night  of  the  20th,  the  rain  began  to  flood  the  earth, 
and  by  the  22d,  the  army,  the  artillery  and  wagons  were 
swamped  in  the  sticky  paste  which  is  produced  by  the 
combination  of  water  and  Virginia  soil.  Burnside  was 
still  on  the  wrong  side  of  the  river,  while  the  storm  af 

16 


242  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN* 

forded  Lee  opportunity  to  range  his  army  opposite,  in 
preparation  to  receive  Burnside,  if  he  should  succeed  in 
crossing,  and  thus  place  himself  between  Lee's  army  and 
a  river  that  was  too  swollen  to  be  passed.  The  Confeder 
ate  sharpshooters,  watching  the  movements  of  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac  as  it  endeavored  to  struggle  through  the 
mud,  called  across  the  river  to  offer  their  services  in  as 
sisting  to  build  the  bridges. 

When  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  set  out  upon  its  dis 
astrous  expedition  it  destroyed  many  of  the  camps.  Those 
which  were  left  proved  now  a  welcome  shelter.  On  the 
22d,  the  army  retreated,  and  on  the  23d,  reached  its 
former  position,  and  the  famous  mud  march  was  ended. 
On  the  25th,  Burnside,  at  his  own  request,  was  relieved  of 
a  command  for  which  he  had  from  the  beginning  felt 
himself  unfitted,  and  Major-General  Joseph  Hooker  was 
assigned  to  the  vacancy  thus  created.  Sumner,  broken 
by  age  and  infirmity,  was  retired  from  active  service,  and 
Franklin  was  deprived  of  his  command,  thus  leaving 
Hooker  the  senior  general  of  this  branch  of  the  army. 

"  Fighting  Joe"  devoted  himself  with  his  usual  energy 
to  the  reorganization  and  drill  of  his  army.  President 
Lincoln  had  written  a  private  letter  to  the  new  commander, 
which  accompanied  the  order  of  appointment.  After 
commending  him  for  his  soldierly  qualities  and  freedom 
from  political  intrigue,  and  censuring  him  for  his  un 
friendly  criticisms  of  his  predecessor,  he  closes  thus: 

I  much  fear  that  the  spirit  which  you  have  aided  to  infuse  into  the 
array,  of  criticising  their  commander  and  withholding  confidence  from 
him,  will  now  turn  upon  you.  I  shall  assist  you  as  far  as  I  can  to  put  it 
down.  Neither  you  nor  Napoleon,  if  he  were  alive  again,  could  get  any 
good  out  of  an  army  while  such  a  spirit  prevails  in  it.  And  now  beware 
of  rashness,  but  with  energy  and  sleepless  vigilance  go  forward  and  give 
i;s  victories. 


CHANCELLORSVILLE.  243 

Officers  were  required  to  have  their  absent  men  re 
turn.  A  system  of  furloughs  was  established.  Presi 
dent  Lincoln  granted  amnesty  to  all  deserters  who  re 
turned  by  the  first  of  April.  Recruits  began  to  come  in. 
The  cavalry  was  placed  under  command  of  Stoneman, 
an  able  officer,  but  not  a  great  cavalry  leader.  The  dash 
ing  ardor  of  "Fighting  Joe"  infused  new  spirit  into  the 
army  and  won  the  confidence  of  all  who  love  a  dazzling 
warrior,  and  who  does  not?  Perhaps  the  most  peaceable 
soul  on  earth  is  not  dead  to  the  thrill  which  a  martial 
hero  excites. 

Lincoln  visited  the  army  and  reviewed  the  troops.  A 
Northern  writer  has  said  that  "every  visit  he  made  to  the 
army  was  equal  to  the  addition  of  a  new  brigade."  As  he 
left  he  gave  Hooker  and  Couch  this  final  warning:  "I 
want  to  impress  you  two  gentlemen  —  in  your  next  fight 
put  in  all  your  men."  We  shall  see  how  well  the  injunc 
tion  was  obeyed. 

By  the  end  of  April  Hooker  had  what  he  called  "the 
finest  army  on  the  planet,"  but  it  would  not  remain  so  long. 
He  must  fight  an  early  battle,  or  lose  the  assistance  of 
forty-one  regiments  whose  time  would  expire. 

Lee  expected  either  that  Hooker  would  cross  by  the 
upper  fords,  or  that  he  would  move  against  Richmond. 
Longstreet  laid  out  lines  of  defense  for  these  fords,  and 
was  then  ordered  with  the  divisions  of  Hood  and  Pickett 
and  the  artillery  of  Bearing  and  Henry  to  a  point  near 
Petersburg  to  meet  the  possible  movement  on  to  Rich 
mond.  McLaws  and  R.  H.  Anderson  remained  to  finish 
the  work  in  connection  with  the  fords.  It  was  important 
to  Hooker  that  he  attack  Lee  in  the  absence  of  Long- 
street  and  his  divisions.  Lee's  cavalry  was  also  much 
worn  by  its  series  of  brilliant  raids,  so  dashing  and  suc 
cessful  that  a  Northern  writer  has  said  in  connection  with 


244  PICKETT  AND  HIS   MEN.  • 

them:  "Nothing  that  might  be  asserted  of  Confederate 
audacity  or  Federal  imbecility  is  absolutely  incredible." 

Lee  was  rapidly  recruiting  his  army  by  conscription, 
and  by  the  return  of  sick  and  wounded  who  had  suffi 
ciently  recovered  to  report  for  service.  D.  H.  Hill  was 
sent  to  North  Carolina,  and  his  division  was  placed  under 
Rodes.  Early  retained  his  command,  and  Trimble  led 
Jackson's  old  division. 

In  order  to  take  advantage  of  every  point  in  his  favor, 
Hooker  planned  an  attack  upon  Chancellorsville,  a  short 
distance  from  Fredericksburg,  intending  to  cross  the  river 
by  the  two  fords  above  the  junction  of  the  Rapidan  with 
the  Rappahannock,  these  fords  having  been  left  un 
guarded. 

The  heavens  seemed  to  be  as  strongly  opposed  to  the 
progress  of  the  new  commander  as  they  had  been  to  that 
of  his  predecessor.  Heavy  rains  delayed  action  until  the 
27th,  when  the  march  began,  and  on  the  28th  the  passage 
across  the  river  was  effected  by  way  of  Kelly's  Ford  on 
the  Rappahannock  above  the  mouth  of  the  Rapidan, 
twenty-seven  miles  from  Fredericksburg,  by  the  Eleventh 
and  Twelfth  Corps  under  Howard  and  Slocum,  and  the 
Fifth  Corps  under  Meade.  The  next  day  the  Rapidan 
was  easily  crossed,  and  Chancellorsville  was  reached  on 
the  3Oth,  when  Couch  crossed  on  a  pontoon  at  the  United 
States  Ford.  Meanwhile  the  remainder  of  the  army  had 
crossed  below  Fredericksburg.  On  May  I,  Sickles  ar 
rived  in  Chancellorsville.  So  far,  the  bold  movement  of 
Hooker  had  succeeded. 

When,  on  the  3Oth  of  April,  1863,  the  Federal  com 
mander  rode  up  to  the  one  house  which  at  that  time  con 
stituted  Chancellorsville,  conscious  of  being  followed  by 
seventy  thousand  men,  he  probably  felt  in  every  nerve  his 
confident  words:  "I  have  Lee's  army  in  one  hand  and 


CHANCELLORSVILLE.  245 

Richmond  in  the  other."  He  was  to  learn  later  that  his 
birds  were  in  the  bush  instead  of  in  the  hand.  With 
heartfelt  satisfaction  he  announced  to  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  that  the  "enemy  must  either  ingloriously  fly" 
or  present  himself  "where  certain  destruction  awaits 
him."  General  Hooker  was  new  to  command,  and  had 
the  over-enthusiasm  of  youth. 

Hooker  seemed  to  have  exhausted  himself  in  the 
crossing.  He  suddenly  ceased  to  be  "  Fighting  Joe,"  and 
became  waiting  Joe.  His  boasted  ground  upon  which  he 
had  expressed  his  confident  intention  of  devoting  the 
Confederates  to  destruction  appeared  to  be  well  adapted 
to  the  purpose,  but  he  waited  nearly  twenty-four  hours 
before  proceeding  to  put  his  design  into  execution. 

Lee  left  Early  to  hold  the  heights  of  Fredericksburg 
against  Sedgwick,  and  hastened  the  rest  of  his  forces  on  to 
Chancellorsville  during  the  evening  and  midnight  of  the 
3<Dth.  On  the  morning  of  May  I,  his  cavalry  met  Sykes's 
division  and  a  sharp  skirmish  followed.  Lee's  cavalry 
skirmishers  were  repulsed,  but  Hooker,  instead  of  sup 
porting  his  advanced  columns,  ordered  them  to  fall  back 
to  their  old  positions.  In  spite  of  all  remonstrance, 
Hooker  insisted  upon  his  order,  and  the  Federals  fell  back, 
thereby  relinquishing  the  ground  which  Hooker  had  in 
the  beginning  so  proudly  claimed  as  "our  ground,"  and 
losing  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville  in  advance.  The 
positions  thus  yielded  were  occupied  by  the  Confederates, 
who  placed  their  batteries  on  the  ridges  running  in  the 
direction  of  the  Federal  lines,  and  enfiladed  the  retreating 
troops.  Night  closed  upon  a  field  in  which  the  Confeder 
ates  were  well  posted  for  offensive  operations,  while 
Hooker  was  very  weakly  fortified  for  defense. 

In  the  morning,  Lee  kept  up  a  fierce  cannonading  along 
his  right  and  center  to  conceal  the  movements  of  Stone- 


246  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN:       9 

wall  Jackson,  whom  he  sent  with  twenty-six  thousand  men 
to  attack  the  Federal  right.  To  accomplish  the  movement 
required  the  careful  effort  of  an  entire  day,  but  it  was  suc 
cessfully  effected.  A  little  before  six  o'clock  in  the  after 
noon,  when  the  Federal  troops  on  the  right  of  the  Union 
line,  unconscious  of  danger,  had  stacked  their  arms  and 
were  preparing  their  supper,  they  were  surprised  by  a  sud 
den  burst  of  Jackson's  men  from  the  forest,  before  which 
they  fled  in  confusion,  suffering  great  loss  in  the  rout. 

Jackson's  movement  had  been  observed  early  in  the 
day  and  reported  to  Hooker,  who  imagined  it  to  be  a  re 
treat.  Wavering  in  this  supposition  at  one  time,  he  sent 
a  warning  to  Slocum  and  Howard  on  the  right,  but  it 
never  reached  them.  The  surprise  was  complete. 

Hooker  hurried  up  and  ordered  Birney's  division, 
formerly  his  own,  to  charge  with  the  bayonet.  This  move 
ment  resulted  in  checking  the  onset  of  Jackson  and  forc 
ing  him  into  the  woods  commanding  abandoned  intrench- 
ments  where  some  Federal  guns  were  left  unprotected. 
In  a  moment  the  Confederates  would  seize  them  and  turn 
them  upon  their  former  possessors. 

It  was  in  front  of  these  batteries,  though  not  through 
them,  that  the  darkest  shadow  which  had  yet  fallen  upon 
the  Southern  cause  lowered  down  into  a  starless  night.  It 
was  here  that  Stonewall  Jackson  fell,  shot  down  by  the 
men  who  would  have  given  their  lives  at  any  moment  to 
save  him.  On  that  moonlit  evening  in  May,  when  vic 
tory  had  perched  upon  the  banner  of  the  South,  when  the 
heart  of  the  Confederacy  thrilled  with  exultant  hope,  he 
whom  a  Northern  writer  has  called  "that  thunderbolt  in 
war,"  the  leader  whose  presence  meant  victory,  the  man 
from  whose  deep  eyes  flashed  forth  the  signal-flame  of 
triumph,  the  soldier  in  whose  voice  rang  the  battle-cry 
to  which  all  Southern  hearts  responded,  furled  his  flag 


CHANCELLORSVILLE.  247 

and  left  the  field  forever.  As  has  been  truly  said  by  a 
Northern  historian,  it  is  doubtful  whether  all  the  advan 
tages  gained  to  the  Southern  cause  in  the  battle  of  Chancel- 
lorsville  were  not  dearly  purchased  by  the  loss  of  Thomas 
Jonathan  Jackson.  He  died  at  Guiney's  Station,  Virginia, 
on  the  loth  of  May. 

Pleasanton,  having  gained  an  aggressive  position,  pro 
ceeded  to  fortify  it,  arranging  batteries  and  constructing 
roads  across  the  marshy  ground,  until  he  had  so  strength 
ened  his  position  that  he  thought,  with  the  support  of 
Sickles's  infantry,  he  could  maintain  himself  against  all 
Lee's  army.  By  unremitting  efforts  during  the  night  of 
the  2d,  Sickles  succeeded  in  recovering  a  part  of  the 
ground  and  some  of  the  guns  which  had  been  lost  the  day 
before,  but  upon  reporting  to  Hooker  was  surprised  by 
an  order  to  fall  back  to  Chancellorsville.  Thus  the  key  of 
the  military  position  was  abandoned  by  the  Federals,  and 
the  Confederates  seized  it  to  unlock  the  door  of  success. 

On  the  3d,  thirty  Confederate  guns  were  placed  upon 
the  point  of  vantage  and,  covered  as  Lee's  army  was  by 
thick  woods  which  concealed  it  from  the  opposing  force, 
it  was  no  difficult  matter  to  hold  at  bay  the  disorganized 
Federals,  who  were  unnerved  by  disaster,  and  disabled  by 
ignorance  of  the  geography  of  the  dense  forest  in  which 
they  could  never  know  anything  about  the  magnitude  of 
the  force  they  were  to  encounter. 

Sickles  was  attacked  by  the  old  corps  of  Jackson,  now 
commanded  by  Stuart,  the  men  crying  out  as  they  ad 
vanced:  "  Remember  Jackson!"  Stuart  was  singing,  with 
gleeful  appreciation,  "Old  Joe  Hooker,  come  out  of  the 
wilderness."  Sickles's  men  fought,  as  one  of  their  officers 
said,  "  like  devils,"  but  a  flanking  fire  from  the  artillery  on 
the  ground  which  they  had  relinquished  that  morning  by  the 
order  of  the  commanding  general,  and  a  furious  front  attack 


PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.    ' 

by  the  Confederate  infantry  caused  them  to  retire  to  a  line 
which  they  succeeded  in  holding  to  the  end  of  the  day. 

The  roads  centering  at  Chancellorsville  passed  under 
control  of  the  Confederates,  who  pressed  forward  until 
Stuart,  fighting  the  Union  right,  effected  a  junction  with 
Lee's  main  army. 

As  the  Union  forces  fell  back,  the  Confederate  artil 
lery  was  brought  more  into  play,  and  the  Chancellor  House, 
where  Hooker  had  his  headquarters,  was  soon  under  fire. 
Hooker  was  struck  by  a  falling  column  and  for  a  while 
was  supposed  to  be  dead.  Much  time  was  lost  before  he 
became  conscious,  and  his  dazed  condition  for  the  rest  of 
the  day  rendered  him  incapable  of  determinate  direction. 

Sedgwick  waited  at  Fredericksburg  until  the  night  of 
the  2d,  when  he  received  orders  to  destroy  the  Confeder 
ate  force  and  march  at  once  to  Chancellorsville,  falling 
upon  Lee's  rear  while  Hooker  attacked  him  on  the  front. 
To  do  this,  the  heights  of  Fredericksburg  must  be  scaled, 
Early  driven  off,  and  a  march  of  eleven  miles  effected. 
These  arduous  duties  were  so  far  accomplished  as  to  bring 
him  out  upon  the  Chancellorsville  road  in  pursuit  of 
Barksdale's  Mississippians,  with  Banks's  Ford  in  his  rear, 
affording  him  an  opportunity  of  recrossing  the  river 
should  it  become  necessary.  Here  he  was  met  by  Mc- 
Laws,  sent  by  Lee  to  stop  Sedgwick's  progress. 

Sedgwick  soon  found  that  he  must  either  avail  himself 
of  the  opportunity  of  retreat  furnished  by  the  proximity 
of  Banks's  Ford,  or  fight  the  whole  Army  of  Northern 
Virginia,  with  no  support  from  Hooker,  whose  despatches 
indicated  a  vacillation  of  mind  which  foreboded  no  good 
to  any  one  whose  safety  depended  upon  prompt  action  by 
'-^e  commander-in-chief. 


CHANCELLORSVILLE,  249 

Lee,  no  longer  apprehensive  of  an  attack  from  the 
main  army,  was  able  to  concentrate  himself  upon  Sedg- 
wick  and,  reoccupying  the  heights  of  Fredericksburg,  at 
tacked  him  on  the  flank  and  during  the  night  forced  him 
across  the  river  with  a  loss  of  five  thousand  men. 

The  next  day,  the  5th,  passed  quietly,  and  in  the  even 
ing  Hooker  determined  to  recross,  a  movement  which  he 
effected  without  molestation  from  the  Confederates.  The 
only  obstacle  to  his  withdrawal  was  a  violent  storm  which 
flooded  the  river.  From  the  north  side  of  the  river  on 
the  6th  of  May,  Hooker  issued  a  congratulatory  order  in 
which  he  claimed,  if  not  a  victory,  technically  speaking, 
.at  least  most  of  the  advantages  of  one.  The  South,  how 
ever,  and  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  the  Northern  people 
and  the  administration  at  Washington,  all  united  in  re 
garding  it  as  a  defeat,  which  further  demoralized  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac  and  dispelled  all  illusions  regarding 
'"  Fighting  Joe"  as  a  great  military  leader. 

Not  quite  a  month  had  passed  since  Lincoln  had  given 
his  parting  charge  to  the  two  commanders.  Notwithstand 
ing  this  injunction  from  one  in  whom  common  sense  well 
took  the  place  of  strict  military  training,  over  forty  thou 
sand  men,  eager  for  the  fray,  had  been  left  inactive. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

THE    HIGH   TIDE    OF   THE    CONFEDERACY. 

At  no  time  since  the  lightnings  of  war  had  flashed  their 
signal  of  terror  across  the  continent  had  the  cause  of  the 
South  risen  so  high,  nor  that  of  the  North  sunk  so  low,  as 
in  the  spring  of  1863.  The  Confederacy  had  reached  its 
high  tide. 

From  the  beginning  of  the  conflict  the  nations  of 
Europe  had  seized  upon  the  opportunity  of  "feeding  fat 
the  ancient  grudges"  they  bore  the  United  States.  They 
saw  in  the  new  departure  of  the  South  the  beginning  of 
the  fall  of  the  republic  and,  like  vultures,  they  hovered 
over  the  scene  of  the  contest  ready  to  swoop  down  when 
the  carnage  should  be  over  and  the  field  left  quiet  that 
the  birds  of  prey  might  gorge  themselves.  They  were 
ready  to  proffer  assistance  to  any  cause  which  seemed  to 
be  in  line  with  their  own  ambitions,  and  thus  gave  to  the 
South  their  self-interested  sympathy. 

Spain,  always  sensible  of  the  dangerous  influence  of  a 
vigorous  republic  so  near  her  own  oppressed  and  down 
trodden  insular  possessions,  had  lost  no  time  in  signify 
ing  her  approval  of  the  Southern  movement.  Within 
six  months  from  the  time  the  first  gun  at  Fort  Sumtcr 
had  sent  a  shudder  through  the  great  republic  and  thrilled 
the  world  with  the  first  thunders  of  the  storm  that  had  for 
so  long  sent  its  premonitory  mutterings  through  the 
trembling  air,  she  had  given  formal  recognition  to  the 
dawning  independence  of  the  struggling  new  nation,  thus 
affording  it  a  moral  support  which  would  resolve  itself 

250 


HIGH  TIDE  OF  THE  CONFEDERACY.  251 

into  practical  aid  when  other  nations  should  have  been 
induced  to  follow  her  example. 

England,  actuated  by  her  unfailing  policy  of  seizing 
everything  in  sight  which  can  be  laid  hold  of  without 
danger  to  herself,  was  more  than  ready  to  give  assistance 
to  any  cause  which  seemed  to  promote  her  own  designs. 
Early  in  the  war  the  strongest  man  in  the  British  Parlia 
ment  had  risen  in  the  House  of  Commons  to  advocate 
the  acknowledgment  of  the  Southern  Confederacy,  on  the 
plea  that  England  could  successfully  rival  the  North  and 
South  separately,  but  she  never  could  while  they  re 
mained  one.  Only  the  presence  of  the  Russian  fleet  near 
the  coast  of  South  America,  and  the  well-known  fact  that 
Russia  would  unite  with  any  power  on  earth  against  her 
ancient  foe,  England,  prevented  the  British  government 
from  accepting  the  overtures  of  Napoleon  III.  to  that  end. 

Notwithstanding  this  obstacle,  the  advocates  of  the 
Confederacy  in  England  lost  no  opportunity  of  indicating 
their  desire  for  its  success,  and  their  intention  of  assisting 
it  in  every  way  in  their  power.  The  Russian  fleet  would 
not  always  be  in  American  waters,  and  if  it  should  be,  a 
combination  of  all  the  forces  hostile  to  the  United  States 
government  would  nullify  the  power  of  Russia  to  oppose 
any  effective  bar  to  the  designs  of  Great  Britain. 

Louis  Napoleon,  the  inveterate  enemy  of  the  United 
States,  who  had  never  believed  in  the  power  of  the  old 
government  to  maintain  itself,  was  looking  forward  with 
ambitious  aspirations  to  the  time  when  the  banner  of  the 
South  would  float  from  the  Capitol  in  Washington.  He 
had  never  forgiven  the  American  Republic  for  the  pur 
chase  of  Louisiana,  and  still  regarded  the  land  involved 
as  rightfully  belonging  to  France.  He  kept  up  a  sem 
blance  of  friendship  with  the  government  at  Washington, 
and  in  his  efforts  to  plant  himself  so  firmly  upon  Ameri- 


»52  PICKETT  AND  HIS 

can  soil  that  he  could  never  be  uprooted,  he  made  his 
protestations  of  amity  the  cloak  for  every  possible  device 
against  the  administration  party.  He  strove  to  induce 
other  powers  to  join  him  in  plots  against  the  North,  not 
from  any  friendship  for  the  South,  but  with  the  design,  as 
he  expressed  it  to  one  of  his  confidants,  of  "restoring  to 
the  Latin  race  on  the  other  side  of  the  ocean  its  force  and 
prestige."  Should  the  South  be  successful,  he  hoped  that 
Louisiana  and  Texas,  at  least,  might  fall  an  easy  prey  into 
his  hands,  thereby  furnishing  him  with  a  territory  larger 
than  all  France,  upon  which  he  might  experiment  with  his 
scheme  for  Latin  restoration. 

Let  the  tide  of  war  roll  from  the  South  to  the  North, 
and  foreign  alliances  would  be  made,  loans  would  be 
secured  in  London  and  Paris,  supplies  would  be  sent  from 
European  ports,  a  fleet  might  be  fitted  out  in  foreign 
waters  for  raising  the  blockade. 

While  the  foreign  assistance  which  might  be  expected 
in  the  event  of  a  successful  aggressive  movement  was  a 
strong  incentive  to  bold  action,  the  situation  in  the  North 
seemed  to  indicate  that  such  success  would  not  be  very 
difficult  of  attainment.  From  the  beginning  of  the  war 
the  Northern  States  had  been  permeated  with  a  Southern 
element.  Not  all  the  friends  of  the  South  breathed  the 
magnolia-scented  atmosphere  of  the  sunny  clime.  They 
flourished  as  vigorously,  and  almost  as  helpfully,  in  the 
steely  frosts  of  the  North  as  in  the  pearly  dews  of  the 
South. 

This  element  had  been  greatly  strengthened  by  recent 
events.  The  fatality  which  seemed  to  have  followed  with 
the  faithfulness  of  an  echo  the  tramp,  tramp,  tramp  of  the 
Northern  army  had  encouraged  the  Southern  sympathizers 
and  added  to  their  number,  while  it  had  in  like  measure 
disheartened  and  weakened  the  supporters  of  the  North. 


HIGH  TIDE  OF  THE  CONFEDERACY.  2$$ 

The  measures  of  policy  adopted  by  the  administration 
had  an  almost  equal  effect  in  depressing  Northern  senti 
ment.  The  enthusiasm  of  volunteers  in  the  beginning  of 
the  war  had  paled  and  weakened  through  disaster,  and 
the  growing  reluctance  to  throwing  away  any  more  lives 
on  a  cause  that  did  not  seem  to  be  verging  toward  success 
made  it  necessary  to  recruit  the  army  by  drafting.  This 
method  was  not  in  accordance  with  the  deeply  rooted 
American  sentiment  of  independence,  and  caused  groat 
dissatisfaction,  which  finally  grew  into  riot. 

In  September,  1862,  Lincoln  issued  the  Emancipation 
Proclamation,  to  take  effect  in  January  of  the  following 
year.  This  policy  did  not  meet  the  approval  of  many 
who  had  until  that  time  remained  loyal  to  the  North,  and 
had  a  strong  influence  in  strengthening  the  anti-war  party. 

The  suspension  of  the  habeas  corpus  excited  opposi 
tion  as  an  ultra  war  measure. 

Before  the  close  of  1862,  the  national  debt  had  reached 
the  alarming  proportions  of  $5 1 5,000,000.  Americans  have 
never  accepted  the  British  view,  that  a  public  debt  is  a 
safeguard  to  a  nation,  and  they  viewed  these  figures  as  a 
menace  to  national  honor  and  to  future  liberty. 

The  financial  condition  kept  the  public  in  that  state  of 
irritation  which  is  likely  at  any  moment  to  develop  into 
revolt.  Specie  payments  were  suspended,  and  an  irre 
deemable  paper  currency  threatened  to  swamp  the  coun 
try.  People  were  weary  of  watching  the  oscillations  of 
gold  which  followed  every  political  or  military  movement. 
They  groaned  under  heavy  taxation  and  equally  heavy  ex 
penses  for  the  most  ordinary  necessities  of  life.  As  prices 
rose  patriotism  fell. 

"  The  adverse  conditions  were  intensified  by  the  politi 
cal  situation  at  Washington,  where  politicians  pulled  wires 
as  vigorously  as  if  no  storm  of  fire  and  blood  were  sweep- 


254  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.  * 

ing  over  the  country  to  call  the  attention  of  all  men  to  the 
fact  that  there  was  something  of  more  importance  to  think 
about  than  personal  schemes  for  the  aggrandizement  of 
selfish  partisans.  A  cabinet  crisis,  produced  by  the  dif 
ferences  of  radical  and  conservative  members,  supervened, 
to  the  still  further  alarm  and  depression  of  the  country, 
and,  though  the  excitement  was  promptly  allayed  by  the 
tact  of  Lincoln,  it  exercised  its  influence  upon  the  nation, 
and  it  might  at  any  time  be  repeated. 

The  misfortunes  which  had  overtaken  the  Federal 
army  during  the  year  had  greatly  assisted  the  anti-war 
party  at  the  polls  in  1862,  and  had  resulted,  among  other 
things  unfavorable  to  the  North,  in  the  election  of  a  man 
of  well-known  Southern  sympathies  as  governor  of  New 
York. 

The  city  of  New  York  was  the  center  of  a  Southern 
element  which  had  its  ramifications  in  all  the  other  great 
cities  of  the  North.  Generally  speaking,  the  North,  un 
like  the  South,  is  ruled  by  her  cities.  The  great  centers 
of  population,  composed  of  representatives  of  many 
nationalities,  of  diverse  training  and  discordant  political 
and  social  beliefs,  play  the  winning  card  in  most  of  the 
national  games.  In  the  South  the  community  was  more 
homogeneous,  and  more  united  in  battling  for  their  cause. 
Although  many  sons  of  the  South  still  sheltered  them 
selves  under  the  old  flag,  the  South,  in  the  main,  stood 
together  in  the  gallant  fight  for  nationality. 

Most  of  these  weaknesses  of  the  North  were  known  to 
Lee,  and  to  the  whole  South,  and  presented  strong  in 
ducements  to  an  aggressive  movement  upon  Northern 
soil. 

The  personal  needs  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia 
were  irresistible  incentives  to  a  raid  which,  if  successful, 
would  provide  the  ragged,  barefoot,  hungry,  suffering  fol- 


HIGH  TIDE  OF  THE  CONFEDERACY.  2$$ 

lowers  of  Lee  with  clothing  and  food  that  would  support 
them  until  the  final  blow  could  be  struck,  and  win  for  the 
South  an  unfailing  store  of  supplies  for  the  future. 

For  the  greater  part  of  four  years  the  South  had  been 
constantly  supplying  and  never  garnering.  The  men  who 
had  formerly  tilled  the  soil  were  now  engaged  in  pursuits 
that  were  not  immediately  productive,  a«nd  the  willing 
earth  lay  with  all  its  treasures  deeply  hidden  in  its  heart, 
waiting  for  the  hand  of  peaceful  toil  to  reach  down 
and  gather  the  wealth  that  would  be  so  freely  given  for 
the  asking.  In  vain  Mother  Earth  held  there  her  glorious 
fruitage,  while  her  wayward  children  rushed  murderously 
on,  trampling  to  death  the  fresh  green  carpet  which  she 
had  spread  over  her,  as  a  living  promise  of  what  she  would 
give  if  they  would  accept.  Rivers  of  blood  overwhelmed 
her,  while  she  lay  prostrate,  with  her  jewels  held  to  her 
own  heart,  because  her  children  would  not  stretch  out  their 
hands  and  take  them  from  her  grasp. 

Across  the  Pennsylvania  line  the  verdant  hills  and  gen 
erous  green  valleys  seemed  to  smile  and  beckon  a  loving 
invitation  to  the  starving,  unclad  Army  of  Northern  Vir 
ginia  to  come  over  and  be  fed  and  clothed.  Nature  is 
neither  Northern  nor  Southern  —  she  is  universal.  If  she 
were  let  alone  to  carry  out  her  will  she  would  provide  for 
all  alike.  What  wonder  that  hungry  eyes  looked  long 
ingly  northward  where  her  full  garner  offered  abundant 
stores! 

Once  across  the  line,  Lee  hoped  to  turn  the  tables  and 
give  the  Northern  army  a  taste  of  warfare  with  an  empty 
commissariat.  His  first  step  would  be  to  destroy  the  rail 
roads  and  suspend  communication  from  the  North  to  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac.  He  would  interrupt  supplies  and 
reduce  Hooker's  army  in  a  few  days  to  the  same  condi 
tion  as  his  own. 


256  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.    . 

The  public  sentiment  of  the  South,  having  demanded 
this  movement,  was  looking  forward  with  vivid  imagina 
tion  to  its  possible  results.  The  daily  press  thrilled  the 
popular  heart  with  pictures  of  the  devastation  which  would 
accrue  to  the  North  and  the  consequent  advantage  to  the 
South  of  the  invasion.  The  occupation  of  the  principal 
cities  of  Pennsylvania  would  cut  the  North  in  two.  The 
coal-fields  would  be  destroyed  and  business  would  be 
paralyzed. 

Another  incentive  to  Lee's  aggressive  action  was  the 
necessity  of  relieving  the  pressure  upon  the  west.  Grant 
was  thundering  at  the  gates  of  Vicksburg.  A  strong 
movement  toward  the  north  might  result  in  calling  him 
from  Mississippi,  and  Rosecrans  from  Tennessee,  back  to- 
Washington.  If  Vicksburg  should  fall,  a  success  on 
Northern  ground  would  go  far  toward  alleviating  the  bad 
effects  of  that  disaster. 

To  crown  all,  the  Union  army  itself  was  believed  to- 
be  dispirited  by  defeat.  Want  of  harmony  among  its- 
generals,  especially  between  Halleck,  the  commander-in- 
chief,  and  the  commander  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac, 
gave  promise  of  an  easy  victory. 

The  battle  of  Antietam  had  delayed  Lee's  raid,  pro 
jected  in  1862,  but  subsequent  events  had  seemed  to  point 
to  it  as  the  one  way  to  success. 

In  all  the  history  of  warfare,  had  ever  a  commander  of 
a  great  army  resisted  such  alluring  temptations  as  spread 
themselves  before  Lee,  as  he  looked  across  the  Southern 
border  into  the  smiling  meadows  of  the  North  gleaming 
in  the  golden  sunshine  of  June? 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

PENNSYLVANIA    CAMPAIGN. 

Lee  disclosed  his  plan  of  campaign  to  General  A.  L. 
Long,  his  military  secretary,  in  the  camp  near  Fredericks- 
burg.  He  traced  on  the  map  the  proposed  route  of  his  army. 

His  first  thought  was  to  maneuver  Hooker  out  of  his 
position  on  the  Rappahannock  and  force  him  to  fight  at 
Chambersburg,  York  or,  perhaps,  Gettysburg.  He  was 
confident  of  victory  —  a  victory  which  meant  the  evacua 
tion  of  Washington,  and  the  recall  of  the  Federal  troops 
from  the  siege  of  Vicksburg. 

Lee  had  about  sixty  thousand  veterans.  The  artil 
lery,  under  Pendleton,  aggregated  two  hundred  guns. 
The  strength  of  the  cavalry  was  about  six  thousand, 
under  Stuart,  Hampton,  Robertson,  and  Jones.  The  in 
fantry  was  reorganized  into  three  army  corps,  desig 
nated  as  the  First,  Second,  and  Third  Corps,  commanded 
by  Longstreet,  Ewell,  and  A.  P.  Hill. 

On  June  3,  1863,  Longstreet  began  to  push  on  to 
ward  Culpeper,  followed  by  Ewell.  A.  P.  Hill  was  left 
in  front  of  Fredericksburg  to  restrain  Hooker  from  ad 
vancing  against  Richmond,  and  to  conceal  the  movements 
of  the  main  army.  With  unceasing  vigilance  he  prevented 
any  communication  between  the  two  sides  of  the  river, 
capturing  the  scouts  who  had  been  sent  out  by  Hooker  to 
ascertain  Lee's  movements.  On  the  5th  Hooker  sent  a 
corps  to  the  south  side  of  the  river.  As  Hill  perceived 
that  it  was  intended  merely  for  observation,  it  was  not 
opposed. 

17  257 


258  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

The  8th  of  June  Stuart's  cavalry  and  the  two  corps  under 
Longstreet  and  Ewell  concentrated  near  Culpeper.  Here 
Lee  reviewed  his  cavalry,  led  by  that  brilliant  meteor 
which  flashed  vividly  across  the  firmament  of  war,  General 
J.  E.  B.  Stuart.  The  military  ardor  of  this  dashing  cav 
alier  had  not  been  satisfied  by  the  excitement  of  real  war, 
and  he  had  fought  a  mock  battle  for  the  entertainment  of 
his  superior  officer. 

Real  cannon  thundered  their  grim  message  out  upon  the 
winds,  until  the  foe  across  the  river  thought  a  battle  was 
on  and  prepared  hastily  for  whatever  action  might  be  re 
quired  as  the  situation  should  develop.  The  gallant  ten 
thousand  who  so  gracefully  performed  their  intricate  evo 
lutions  under  the  leadership  of  the  most  famous  cavalry 
commander  on  the  western  continent,  before  the  admiring 
eyes  of  Lee  and  his  staff,  were,  as  Heth  had  said,  "the 
eyes  and  ears  of  the  army." 

Calmly  upon  his  battle-horse,  majestic  and  stately, 
with  the  stars  and  bars  waving  protectingly  over  him  as 
if  to  promise  him  victory,  Lee  sat  watching  the  mimic 
fray,  as  a  man  who  has  been  struggling  through  some 
tragedy  of  real  life,  with  death  ir/  his  soul,  may  go  to  the 
theater  to  rest  his  wearied  mind  in  the  tinseled  ebb  and 
flow  of  assumed  emotions. 

The  Federal  cavalry,  under  Pleasanton,  crossed  the 
Rappahannock  on  the  Qth  of  June  to  attack  Stuart  near 
Brandy  Station.  The  infantry  assisted  in  driving  it  back, 
large  spoils  remaining  in  Stuart's  possession.  Pleasanton 
recrossed  the  river,  carrying  with  him  less  artillery  than 
he  had  brought,  but  more  information.  Among  the  items 
of  knowledge  which  he  had  gained  were  the  facts  that 
Ewell  and  Longstreet  were  not  far  from  the  Shenandoah 
Valley,  and  that  Lee's  cavalry  was  a  third  stronger  than 
Hooker's.  The  fight  at  Brandy  Station  was  o^  impor- 


PENNSYLVANIA  CAMPAIGN.  2$$ 

tance  chiefly  as  being  the  first  regular  cavalry  engage 
ment  of  the  war. 

Lee's  army  was  able  to  seize  and  hold  all  the  fords  of 
the  river,  was  secure  from  attack  on  the  march,  and  when 
it  reached  the  valley  was  protected  by  the  Blue  Ridge. 
Lee  had  drawn  every  available  man.  A  like  concentra 
tion  had  not  been  effected  by  his  adversary,  owing  to 
the  hostility  of  the  commander-in-chief  at  Washington 
against  Hooker. 

Lee,  on  June  10,  despatched  Ewell  from  Culpeper  toward 
the  valley  to  capture  Milroy.  Imboden  was  at  the  same 
time  ordered  to  lead  his  horsemen  as  far  as  Romney,  and 
Jenkins  moved  down  upon  Winchester. 

On  the  morning  of  the  I2th  of  June  the  right  wing  of 
the  Union  army,  under  Reynolds,  was  put  in  motion 
toward  Manassas,  and  the  next  day  three  other  corps 
were  ordered  to  the  northward. 

On  June  13  Ewell  was  in  possession  of  Martinsburg, 
Imboden  held  control  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad, 
and  Jenkins  was  pressing  northward  to  Williamsport. 
Longstreet  was  encamped  at  Culpeper.  A.  P.  Hill  was 
at  Fredericksburg.  Hooker  was  trying,  according  to 
orders,  to  maintain  his  position  between  Lee's  army  and 
Washington. 

Ewell,  on  June  15,  gained  a  victory  over  Milroy  at  Win 
chester,  capturing  four  thousand  prisoners  and  twenty- 
nine  guns,  scattering  Milroy's  ten  thousand,  driving  the 
Federal  garrison  from  Harper's  Ferry,  and  crossing  the 
Potomac  with  his  vanguard. 

On  the  evening  of  June  15  Jenkins  advanced  toward 
Chambersburg.  Longstreet  was  moving  out  of  Culpeper 
to  take  the  passes  of  the  Blue  Ridge.  Hill  was  going 
toward  Culpeper. 

The  Confederate  cavalry  under  Stuart,  on   the  I7th, 


26O  PICKETT  AND  HIS    MEN.     m 

met  the  Federal  cavalry  led  by  Pleasanton  near  Aldie 
and  drove  it  back.  The  next  day  the  attack  was  renewed 
and,  Pleasanton  having  been  reinforced  by  infantry,  Stuart 
was  compelled  to  retire,  having  taken  about  four  hundred 
prisoners  and  some  horses  and  arms. 

At  this  time  the  Confederates  were  outstretched 
from  Culpeper,  where  A.  P.  Hill  now  was,  to  Cham- 
bersburg,  which  had  been  raided  by  Jenkins.  Ewell  oc 
cupied  Hagerstown  and  Sharpsburg.  Longstreet  was 
guarding  the  pass  at  the  Blue  Ridge.  Stuart  was  at  the 
gap  of  the  Bull  Run  Mountains,  veiling  the  movements 
of  the  army. 

On  June  18  Lee  ordered  his  entire  army  to  cross  the 
Potomac.  Hill  passed  behind  Longstreet's  line  through 
Chester  Gap  into  the  valley  and  on  to  Shepherdstown 
in  search  of  Ewell.  Longstreet,  with  Pickett's  three  bri 
gades  and  the  divisions  of  McLaws  and  Hood,  followed 
on  after  Hill.  On  the  2 1st,  the  division  of  McLaws  was 
sent  back  to  support  Stuart  at  Ashby's  Gap  in  the  Blue 
Ridge.  Imboden  entered  Pennsylvania,  and  Sam  Jones 
advanced  into  West  Virginia. 

Ewell,  on  June  23,  swept  up  the  Cumberland  Valley  to 
ward  Carlisle.  Stuart  was  to  pass  around  Hooker's  rear, 
cross  the  Potomac  to  the  eastward  of  Hooker's  army,  and 
come  into  touch  with  Ewell's  advance  at  York.  He  easily 
gained  the  point  for  which  he  had  started,  but  failed  in 
his  design  of  capturing  supplies  intended  for  the  Union 
forces,  and  was  cut  off  from  his  own  army.  He  left  two 
brigades  under  Robertson  in  the  mountains  with  instruc 
tions,  it  is  said,  to  report  to  General  Longstreet,  though 
Longstreet  states  that  such  order  was  not  given.  Thus 
the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  was  rendered  blind  and 
deaf,  being  without  its  cavalry,  "the  eyes  and  ears  of 
an  army."  Stuart  pushed  on  to  Carlisle,  and  did  not 


PENNSYLVANIA  CAMPAIGN.  26 1 

know  that  a  battle  was  fought  at  Gettysburg  on  the  1st  of 
July. 

Lee  had  consented  to  his  making  this  ride,  expecting 
that  Stuart  would  be  able  to  return  by  the  time  his  serv 
ices  were  needed.  He  was  the  ideal  cavalry  leader,  bold, 
dashing  and  ardent,  impetuous  of  heart,  and  zealous  in  the 
cause  for  which  he  fought,  and  Lee's  army  was  indeed 
blind  and  deaf  without  his  sleepless  vigilance.  But 
for  the  absence  of  such  information  as  the  cavalry  could 
have  obtained  for  him  in  his  northern  invasion,  who 
knows  what  changes  might  have  been  wrought  in  the  map 
of  the  western  hemisphere? 

Hooker  crossed  the  Potomac  at  Edwards's  Ferry  on 
the  25th  and  26th,  and  marched  directly  upon  Frederick, 
Maryland.  Here  he  intended  to  send  the  Twelfth  Corps 
(Slocum's)  through  the  South  Mountain  passes  to  the  west 
ward  to  join  eleven  thousand  troops  under  General  French 
at  Harper's  Ferry,  and  attack  Lee's  rear,  interrupting  com 
munications,  capturing  trains,  and  exposing  him  to  a  gen 
eral  attack.  Halleck  would  not  allow  the  troops  to  be 
taken  from  Harper's  Ferry,  saying  that  Maryland  Heights 
must  be  held  "as  the  key  to  Maryland."  Hooker  said 
that  it  was  useless  to  hold  the  key  "  now  that  the  door 
had  been  smashed  in,"  and  tendered  his  resignation,  thus 
snapping  the  already  severely  strained  relations  existing 
between  himself  and  the  authorities  at  Washington.  On 
the  27th  he  was  relieved  from  command.  Assistant 
Adjutant-General  James  A.  Hardie  was  sent  by  special 
train  with  the  double  order  —  one  relieving  Hooker,  the 
other  appointing  General  George  G.  Meade  to  the  com 
mand  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  Thus  the  star  of 
Hooker  went  down  at  Chancellorsville,  to  remain  in 
eclipse  until  it  rose  again  above  the  clouds  of  Lookout 
Mountain. 


262  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

About  ten  days  earlier  General  Dix,  at  Fortress  Monroe, 
had  been  ordered  to  threaten  Richmond,  left  with  but  a 
weak  defense.  Troops  were  sent  to  Yorktown  and  the 
White  House.  Seven  thousand  men  under  General  Getty 
moved  to  Hanover  Junction  to  destroy  Lee's  communica 
tions.  General  Keyes  with  about  five  thousand  troops 
went  from  White  House  to  Bottom's  Bridge  on  the  Chicka- 
hominy,  clearing  the  way  for  an  advance  on  Richmond. 
On  the  1 5th  his  command  was  only  fifteen  miles  from  the 
city.  For  a  time  it  was  feared  that  Lee  must  be  recalled 
to  the  defense  of  Richmond.  Reinforcements  from  the 
south  were  sent  up,  the  militia  called  out,  and  the  danger 
was  over. 

On  the  24th  and  25th  Lee's  entire  force  was  north  of 
the  river.  They  were  surprised  to  find  a  country  so  rich, 
and  they  seized  all  kinds  of  supplies,  rigidly  insisting  upon 
paying  for  them  with  Confederate  scrip,  explaining,  when 
the  unwilling  sellers  objected,  that  if  they  gave  their  aid 
to  the  invaders  the  money  which  they  now  viewed  with 
suspicion  would  be  worth  its  face  value. 

Ewell,  in  advance  of  Lee,  went  from  Chambersburg 
to  Carlisle,  where  he  arrived  on  the  2/th  of  June  with 
the  divisions  of  Rodes  and  Johnson,  and  Jenkins's  cav 
alry  brigade.  Early  marched  from  Boonsboro  to  Green 
wood  and  thence  to  York.  Longstreet  and  Hill  followed 
Ewell  and  arrived  at  Chambersburg  when  Ewell  reached 
Carlisle.  Lee's  whole  army  was  now  in  the  State  of 
Pennsylvania,  his  advance  threatening  Harrisburg.  Early 
was  to  tear  up  the  Northern  Central  Railroad  at  York, 
and  go  on  to  Wrightsville.  He  desired  to  secure  the 
bridge  at  that  place,  as  it  would  furnish  a  passage  for  Lee's 
army  across  a  difficult  stream  which  would  otherwise 
present  an  impassable  barrier.  When  he  appeared  the 
Pennsylvania  militia  retreated  across  the  bridge  and  set 


I 

PENNSYLVANIA  CAMPAIGN.  263 

fire  to  it.  As  Early  could  not  cross  the  Susquehanna, 
he  returned  to  his  corps. 

At  Chambersburg,  Lee  delivered  an  address  with  the 
refrain,  "Vengeance  is  Mine,"  and  issued  an  order  that 
there  should  be  no  retaliation,  and  that  private  property 
should  not  be  destroyed. 

Lee's  army  had  been  increased  to  its  maximum 
strength.  Pickett's  division  had  reinforced  Longstreet's 
corps.  The  Fourteenth  Virginia  Regiment  marched  to  join 
Pickett's  division,  and  was  afterward  in  time  for  the  close 
of  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  where  it  fought  in  Armistead's 
brigade,  and  its  colonel,  James  G.  Hodges,  was  killed  in 
the  great  charge  of  July  3.  So  thoroughly  had  Lee  con 
centrated  his  army  that  when  he  suggested  to  President 
Davis  that  Beauregard  should  make  a  demonstration  upon 
Culpeper  to  divert  Hooker's  attention  Davis  replied  that 
there  were  not  enough  men  left  to  make  it  possible. 

Jenkins  had  taken  possession  of  Greencastle  and 
Chambersburg.  At  the  latter  place  he  proceeded  to  gather 
in  the  supplies  of  which  his  army  was  in  great  need,  pay 
ing  for  them  in  the  most  liberal  manner  with  Confederate 
scrip.  Of  his  commercial  methods  the  editor  of  a  Cham 
bersburg  paper  said : 

True,  the  system  of  Jenkins  would  be  considered  a  little  informal 
in  business  circles;  but  it's  his  way,  and  our  people  are  agreed  to  it,  per 
haps,  to  some  extent,  because  of  the  novelty,  but  mainly  because  of  the 
necessity  of  the  thing. 

On  Jenkins  personally  he  commented  thus: 

He  graduated  at  Jefferson  College  in  this  State,  and  gave  promise 
of  future  usefulness  and  greatness.  His  downward  career  commenced 
some  five  years  ago,  when  in  an  evil  hour  he  became  a  member  of  Con 
gress  from  Western  Virginia,  and  from  thence  may  be  dated  his  decline 
and  fall. 


264  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.      • 

Though  there  had  been  a  sudden  removal  of  all  the  sup 
plies  that  could  be  carried  into  the  mountains  and  across 
the  Susquehanna,  yet  Jenkins  secured  a  goodly  quantity, 
which  he  handed  over  to  the  main  army  through  Ewell, 
who,  for  that  purpose,  remained  between  Hagerstown  and 
the  Potomac.  In  addition  to  gaining  provisions,  this  raid 
was  intended  to  induce  Hooker  either  to  uncover  Wash 
ington  or  to  attack  the  Confederates  and  give  Lee  an  op 
portunity  of  fighting  a  defensive  battle,  in  which  he  was 
confident  of  success. 

On  Sunday,  the  2ist  of  June,  Jenkins  attended  church 
with  Ewell  at  Hagerstown.  On  Monday  he  returned 
to  Chambersburg,  accompanied  by  Ewell's  infantry  and 
Rodes's  and  Early's  divisions,  under  Ewell's  command, 
and  followed  by  Johnson. 

General  Imboden  of  the  cavalry  had  broken  up  the 
Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad  and  destroyed  the  canal  to 
prevent  troops  from  West  Virginia  from  attacking  Lee 
upon  the  flank.  Then  he  struck  out  for  Fulton  County, 
having  a  skirmish  on  the  way  with  a  part  of  the  First  New 
York  Cavalry,  and  took  possession  of  McConnellsburg. 

The  Cumberland  Valley  Railroad  had  also  been  de 
stroyed,  and  so  completely  was  communication  interrupted 
that  the  people  of  the  North  had  yet  no  conception  of 
the  magnitude  of  the  raid,  and  their  papers  were  still 
holding  out  the  view  that  the  situation  was  by  no  means 
alarming. 

On  the  28th  of  June,  the  movement  of  Ewell  having 
failed  to  draw  the  Federals  from  their  mountain  covert, 
Lee  determined  to  relieve  the  rear  of  his  army  from  the 
pressure  which  bore  upon  i:.  With  this  design,  he  checked 
the  northern  march  by  issuing  a  counter-order  direct 
ing  the  concentration  of  his  army  east  of  the  mountains, 
at  Cashtown.  This  order  recalled  Hill's  division  from 


PENNSYLVANIA  CAMPAIGN,  265 

the  Susquehanna,  which  he  had  expected  to  cross  in  the 
direction  of  Philadelphia  or  Harrisburg.  His  leading 
division  under  Heth  went  to  Cashtown  on  the  29th.  On 
the  30th,  Hill,  with  Fender's  division,  marched  for  the 
same  place,  and  was  followed,  on  July  I,  by  R.  H.  Ander 
son's  division. 

When  the  order  came,  Ewell,  at  Carlisle,  was  moving 
forward  to  attack  Harrisburg.  He  had  with  him  the  divi 
sions  of  Rodes  and  E.  Johnson  and  the  reserve  artillery. 
Early's  division  was  at  York.  In  accordance  with  the 
order  to  concentrate  around  Cashtown,  on  the  30th  of 
June,  Rodes  was  at  Heidlersburg,  ten  miles  from  Gettys 
burg,  Early  was  not  far  away,  Johnson,  with  the  reserve 
artillery  and  trains,  was  near  Green  Village,  twenty-three 
miles  from  Gettysburg,  and  Stuart,  having  torn  up  the 
railroad  between  Meade  and  Washington,  was  raiding 
around  York  and  Carlisle.  Pickett's  three  brigades  had 
been  left  at  Chambersburg  under  orders  to  guard -trains. 

Meade  advanced  northward  from  Fredericksburg,  and 
made  his  headquarters  at  Taneytown,  fourteen  miles  south 
east  of  Gettysburg,  and  about  a  mile  north  of  Pipe  Creek, 
where  he  expected  to  fight  the  coming  battle.  His  First 
Corps,  under  Reynolds,  was  at  Marsh  Creek,  six  miles  from 
Gettysburg,  and  the  Sixth,  under  Sedgwick,  at  Manchester, 
to  the  south.  Hunt,  general  in  command  of  the  artillery 
of  the  army,  was  with  Meade  at  Taneytown,  and  Kil- 
patrick's,  Gregg's,  and  Buford's  cavalry  were  at  Hanover, 
Manchester  and  Gettysburg.  The  rest  of  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  was  scattered  around  Gettysburg  at  Uniontown, 
Bridgeport,  Union  Mills,  Emmitsburg  and  Littletown. 

On  this  momentous  closing  day  of  June,  1863,  wondrous 
with  startling  results,  Stuart  was  moving  from  Hanover 
toward  York  with  the  fatal  captured  wagon-train  of  two 
hundred  mule  teams.  He  passed  within  seven  miles  of 


266  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.       • 

Early's  bivouac,  that  leader  failing  to  warn  him  of  the 
southward  march.  All  unconscious  of  his  proximity  to 
his  friends,  he  moved  on  toward  Carlisle,  while  Lee  anx 
iously  awaited  his  coming,  hoping  to  capture  Harrisburg 
and  offer  determined  battle  at  Cashtown. 

At  sunset  the  heads  of  the  two  armies,  each  ignorant 
of  the  presence  of  the  other,  were  close  together.  Twi 
light  crept  up  softly  from  the  distant  forest  and  threw 
her  purple  veil  over  the  mountains  which  grew  wraithlike 
in  its  magic  folds.  The  mists  floated  upward  from  the 
streams  that  made  rippling,  silvery  lines  through  the 
grass-grown  valley  and  quivered  in  changeful  beauty  in 
the  shimmering  air.  Night  came  gently  down,  radiant 
with  stars,  fragrant  with  flower-laden  breezes,  musical 
with  sweet  summer  sounds,  peaceful  as  sleep,  but  with 
that  solemn  quietude  with  which  sleep  deepens  into 
death. 

Such  were  the  surroundings  of  the  approaching  armies. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

GETTYSBURG — FIRST    DAY. 

All  through  the  ages  has  nature  provided  for  coming 
events.  With  prophetic  wisdom  she  foresees  the  cata 
clysms  that  yet  lie  hidden  in  the  mysterious  future, 
and  brings  all  the  forces  of  the  universe  to  prepare  for 
them. 

Thus,  looking  adown  the  far  slope  of  time,  she  saw  a 
great  battle  in  which  questions  that  had  heretofore  weak 
ened  the  unity  of  the  nation  should  be  settled  at  count 
less  cost  of  blood  and  treasure,  and  prepared  for  that 
mighty  conflict  a  fitting  field. 

She  created  a  rolling  plain  and  proceeded  to  fortify  it 
with  her  own  matchless  defenses. 

First,  she  fanned  the  subterranean  fires  which  propelled 
the  gigantic  machinery  of  the  planet  till  they  flamed  up 
with  an  intensity  that  rent  the  surface  of  the  earth  and 
threw  out  great  masses  of  material,  stored  there  through 
all  the  ages,  waiting  for  their  appointed  time. 

Of  this  material  a  ridge  was  formed  to  the  south  of 
the  wide  plain  in  the  shape  of  a  fish-hook  —  a  deadly  hook 
it  would  sometime  prove  to  be,  on  which  many  a  victim 
would  be  impaled.  At  the  point  of  the  hook  she  built 
an  eminence,  afterward  called  Wolf's  Hill,  appropriately 
enough,  for  were  not  wolfish  deeds  to  be  done  there  at  a 
future  bloody  time? 

At  the  barb  of  the  hook  she  made  another  mountain- 
peak  which  in  time  was  known  as  Gulp's  Hill.  Between 
them  she  caused  a  sparkling  stream  of  water  to  flow,  so 

267 


268  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

hedged  around  and  protected  by  magnificent  and  pic 
turesque  rocks  that  in  after  time  it  was  known  as  Rock 
Creek. 

The  gigantic  stem  of  the  hook  was  formed  by  a  suc 
cession  of  hills  whereon  there  was  later  a  sacred  spot  in 
which  the  earthly  forms  of  loved  ones,  whose  souls  had 
passed  beyond  into  the  higher  phase  of  life,  were  laid  to 
rest  with  loving,  tender  care,  beneath  green  sod  radiant 
with  the  bloom  of  flowers  watered  by  tears  of  love  and 
hope.  From  this  peaceful  and  holy  place  the  chain  took 
the  name  of  Cemetery  Ridge,  a  faithful  prophecy  of  its 
destined  purpose. 

The  stem  ends  in  two  hills,  Round  Top  and  Little 
Round  Top,  the  two  keys  which  some  day  would  lock 
and  unlock  the  military  treasure  of  the  great  Cemetery 
Ridge. 

A  short  distance  northwest  of  Little  Round  Top  was  a 
cavern  formed  of  piles  of  enormous  rocks,  wild  and  rugged 
and  sinister-looking.  So  filled  was  it  with  appalling  sug 
gestions  and  terrifying  appeals  to  a  sensitive  imagination 
that  it  had  received  the  name  of  Devil's  Den.  It  came 
to  pass  in  later  days  that,  resounding  with  reports  of 
deadly  musketry,  shrouded  in  smoke  and  flaming  with 
fire,  it  bore  well  its  demoniac  name. 

Between  the  Round  Tops  and  Devil's  Den  flows  a  lit 
tle  marshy  stream  known  as  Plum  Run  —  name  of  gentle 
suggestions  dear  to  the  heart  of  the  farmer's  child.  It  is 
associated  with  summer  orchards,  with  red  fruit  dropping 
down,  with  appetizing  suppers  in  the  soft  gloaming  of  the 
summer  day,  with  the  sweet  smell  of  the  clover  wafted 
up  from  the  southern  hillside  meadow  on  the  gentle 
wings  of  the  summer  air,  and  the  luscious  crimson  fruit 
lying  temptingly  among  green  leaves  on  the  white-draped 
table. 


GE  TTYSB URG  —  FIRST  DA  Y.  269 

Westward  from  Cemetery  Hill,  beyond  a  valley  from 
half  a  mile  to  a  mile  wide,  extending  north  and  south,  is 
another  range  not  quite  so  tall,  crowned  by  a  magnificent 
growth  of  oak-trees,  from  which  it  has  the  name  of  Oak 
Ridge.  Afterward  a  theological  seminary  was  built  there 
and  the  chain  became  known  as  Seminary  Ridge. 

All  around  nature  left  her  choicest  gifts  of  beauty  and 
fascination,  that  the  region  might  secure  in  the  coming 
ages  a  concentration  of  the  forces  which  should  pave  the 
way  for  the  march  of  armies. 

In  time,  peach-  and  apple-orchards  filled  that  peaceful 
valley  with  pink  and  white  beauty.  When  summertide 
came,  fields  of  wheat  waved  to  the  wind  between  the  two 
sheltering  ranges  of  hills.  The  fruits  of  the  earth  gave 
luxurious  cheer  to  the  happy  dwellers  in  that  beautiful 
plain  when  the  bloom  of  the  flowers  floated  upward  into 
the  crimson  of  the  autumn  leaves. 

Nature  having  erected  her  offensive  and  defensive 
posts  and  surrounded  the  place  with  impregnable  fortifi 
cations,  it  remained  for  man  to  do  his  part  in  preparing 
this  ground  for  its  awful  destiny. 

This  he  did  by  constructing  numerous  roads  which, 
converging  to  it  from  all  sides,  caused  it  to  be  compared 
to  "the  hub  of  a  wheel,  receiving  spokes  from  every 
direction."  These  roads  were  intended  by  those  who 
constructed  them  as  assistants  in  the  peaceful  vocations 
of  life.  Unwittingly,  they  were  adapted  to  aid  in  the 
bloody  harvest  of  death. 

A  road  from  Chambersburg  led  down  from  the  north 
west,  the  Carlisle  road  from  the  north,  the  Harrisburg  road 
from  the  northeast,  the  York  road  from  the  east,  the  Balti 
more  road  from  the  southeast,  the  Taneytown  road  from 
the  south,  the  Potomac  roads  from  the  southwest.  Con 
venient  avenues  they  proved  in  after  years  for  the  guid- 


2/O  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

ance  of  those  who  had  long  been  warring  with  each  other 
across  the  historic  river. 

The  selection  of  a  battle  field  is  of  no  less  importance 
than  its  preparation  away  back  in  the  geologic  ages.  The 
field  for  the  greatest  battle  of  the  war  between  the  States 
had  been  set  apart  for  that  purpose  by  a  series  of  what 
might  be  regarded  as  trivial  circumstances,  were  it  not 
for  the  well-known  fact  that  there  are  no  trifles  in  the 
realm  of  destiny. 

The  general-in-chief  of  the  Army  of  Virginia  and  the 
commander  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  each  had  con 
victions  about  the  proper  field  for  the  battle.  Lee  chose 
Cashtown,  as  affording  a  strong  background  of  mountains 
as  a  defense;  Meade  had  set  his  martial  mind  upon  fight 
ing  at  Pipe  Creek.  In  the  selection  of  battle-fields,  gen 
erals  propose,  but  Mars  disposes. 

By  his  untrammeled  will  does  the  god  of  war  choose 
the  stage  for  the  unfolding  of  each  scene  in  his  blood-red 
drama.  Having  made  his  selection,  he  leads  thither  his  fol 
lowers  by  some  slight  incident  in  which  his  hand  is  unseen. 

The  armies  were  guided  to  the  field  on  which  was  to  be 
fought  the  decisive  battle  of  the  Civil  War  by  the  somewhat 
homely  detail  of  shoes.  These  minor  articles,  which  have 
been  rendered  daily  necessities  by  a  highly  evolved  and 
complicated  state  of  society,  have  played  an  important 
part  in  history;  as,  for  example,  the  sandals  that  betrayed 
the  unfortunate  Empedocles  and  destroyed  a  faith  upon 
which  a  whole  school  of  philosophy  depended  for  intel 
lectual  and  moral  salvation. 

So,  it  happened  that  shoes  which  had  never  been  on  mor 
tal  feet  —  phantasmal  shoes,  which  may  have  existed  only 
in  the  imagination  —  evanescent  shoes,  eagerly  sought  but 
never  found  —  though  devoid  of  guiding  feet,  even  ghostly 
ones,  led  the  way  to  the  battle-field  of  Gettysburg. 


GETTYSBURG  — FIRST  DAY.  27! 

Heth  called  for  the  shoes  to  supply  the  needs  of  his 
soldiers,  and  Pettigrew  set  out  for  Gettysburg  to  procure 
them.  Pettigrew  did  not  find  the  shoes  which  he  ex 
pected,  but  he  did  find  two  brigades  of  Buford's  cavalry 
which  he  did  not  expect,  and,  being  unprepared  for  the 
encounter,  he  fell  back  to  Marsh  Creek,  half-way  to  Cash- 
town. 

Hill,  supposing  that  merely  a  detachment  of  cavalry 
was  in  Gettysburg,  sent  Heth  and  Pender  of  his  division 
on  from  Cashtown  with  battalions  of  artillery  under 
Pegram  and  Mclntosh,  thus  precipitating  a  battle  with  two 
of  Meade's  corps  whom  Buford  had  summoned  to  his  aid. 

The  little  white  village  of  Gettysburg  nestled  peace 
fully  in  the  greenery  between  the  two  ridges  on  that  early 
July  morning  when  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  was 
hastening  to  concentrate  itself  upon  the  little  town. 

The  vapors  of  the  recent  rains  yet  hung  in  purple 
glooms  over  the  valley,  and  the  morning  sun,  struggling 
through,  struck  sharply  against  them  and  shattered  them 
into  prismatic  tints  that  shed  a  glory  over  the  scene  and 
crowned  the  summit  of  South  Mountain  with  a  jeweled 
circlet. 

Before  a  storm  all  nature  stands  in  hushed  expectancy. 
The  winds  sleep  in  their  far-off  caves  of  rest.  The  air  is 
motionless,  and  the  earth  breathes  not.  There  is  not  the 
faintest  quivering  in  the  leaves  of  the  mighty  forest.  The 
birds  cower  timidly,  hidden  away  among  the  shady 
branches,  their  wings  folded,  their  voices  hushed  in  ter 
ror.  The  clouds  droop  heavily  over  the  earth  and  do  not 
seem  to  move.  Earth  and  sea  and  sky,  all  trembling,  wait. 

So,  in  the  silence  of  the  night  of  the  3Oth  of  June,  the 
two  armies  concentrated  their  forces  amid  a  hush  un 
broken,  in  preparation  for  the  mighty  conflict  that  should 
shake  the  continent. 


PICKETT  AND  HIS    MEN.      m 

Lee  spent  the  night  of  the  3Oth  in  Longstreet's  camp 
in  consultation,  and  the  next  morning  the  two  generals 
rode  through  the  mountain  pass  to  the  field  of  the  ap 
proaching  conflict.  As  they  went  they  heard  the  reports 
of  cannon  shivering  the  silence  of  the  soft  June  air.  Lee 
left  Longstreet  and  hastened  toward  Gettysburg. 

On  the  west  of  Gettysburg,  beyond  Seminary  Ridge, 
is  Willoughby  Run,  the  companion  stream  to  Rock  Creek 
on  the  east.  Here  the  Union  troops,  under  Gamble,  were 
stationed,  extending  to  the  Hagerstown  road,  the  reserve 
being  massed  along  the  ridge  which  descends  from  Oak 
Hill  in  advance  of  Seminary  Hill.  The  artillery  was  so 
displayed  as  to  enfilade  three  roads.  Thus  it  awaited  the 
approach  of  Heth  rapidly  advancing  along  the  Cashtown 
road. 

Heth  deployed  his  two  advance  brigades,  Davis's  on  the 
left  and  Archer's  on  the  right,  south  of  the  Chambersburg 
road.  About  eight  o'clock,  the  Confederate  line  descended 
the  wooded  slope  of  the  right  bank  of  Willoughby  Run, 
and  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  that  wonderful  event  which 
resulted  from  so  many  unforeseen  accidents  and  apparent 
trifles,  was  opened;  the  first  battle  upon  the  soil  of  a 
Northern  State  had  fairly  begun,  the  battle  which  was  to 
decide  how  the  map  of  the  continent  should  in  future  be 
drawn  —  perhaps  the  map  of  two  continents,  for  all  Europe 
was  watching  the  conflict  with  an  intensity  of  interest  not 
based  solely  upon  altruistic  grounds. 

The  banks  of  the  little  stream  became  the  scene  of  a 
fierce  conflict.  Before  the  furious  onset  of  Heth's  divi 
sions,  Buford  held  his  ground  by  a  desperate  effort,  endeav 
oring  to  gain  time  for  Reynolds  to  arrive.  He  directed 
in  person  the  fire  of  his  artillery,  prepared  to  lead  back 
his  small  command  to  Cemetery  Hill  should  it  become 
necessary.  Hill,  at  Cashtown,  had  heard  the  echo  of  the 


GE TTYSB URG  —  FIRST  DA  Y.  273 

cannon  and  had  left  his  bed  of  illness  to  hasten  to  the 
conflict. 

When  Buford  was  about  to  give  the  order  for  retreat 
the  signal-officer  in  the  observatory  of  the  Seminary,  look 
ing  anxiously  out  to  see  if,  perchance,  he  might  find  some 
hope  for  the  Union  cavalry,  descried  a  column  of  infantry 
marching  up  the  Emmitsburg  road.  He  needed  no  glim 
mer  of  stars  and  stripes,  no  familiar  battle-cry,  to  tell 
whether  friend  or  foe  was  advancing.  Only  friends  could 
come  up  that  road.  For  the  moment,  Buford  was  saved. 
Reynolds  had  come,  bringing  with  him  the  information 
that  Wadsworth's  division  was  near. 

It  was  forty-five  minutes  past  nine  o'clock  when  Buford 
dashed  pell-mell  down  the  belfry-stairs  to  greet  Reynolds 
with  the  somewhat  profanely  graphic  statement,  "The 
devil  is  to  pay."  "  But  we  can  hold  on  till  the  First  Corps, 
comes,"  was  the  confident  reply,  and  the  two  friends,  with 
the  battle-ardor  hot  upon  them,  galloped  into  the  storm 
to  cheer  the  sinking  hearts  of  Gamble's  men  on  the  hotly 
contested  banks  of  Willoughby  Run.  At  ten  o'clock, 
Wadsworth's  division,  only  two  brigades,  one  under  Cut 
ler  and  the  other  Meredith's  Iron  Brigade,  whose  metal 
would  be  thoroughly  tested  that  day,  presented  a  glitter 
ing  array  on  Seminary  Hill. 

West  of  Willoughby's  Run  was  a  small  triangular  piece 
of  woodland  which,  for  the  Federals,  became  the  scene  of 
the  greatest  tragedy  of  the  first  day  of  Gettysburg.  It 
reached  almost  to  the  summit  of  a  ndge  southwest  of  Oak 
Hill,  and  if  Archer  secured  it  he  would  have  a  safe  cover 
for  his  attack.  The  advantage  of  this  position  was  im 
pressed  upon  the  minds  of  the  opposing  leaders  at  the 
same  time.  Reynolds  and  the  Iron  Brigade  entered  the 
wood  and  in  the  contest  which  followed  Reynolds  was 
shot.  He  was  a  Mexican  veteran,  a  military  leader  of  re- 
is 


274  iUCfTETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

markabie  power,  who  was  described  by  Meade  as  the 
noblest  and  bravest  of  all  whom  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
lost  on  the  field  of  battle. 

Meredith's  soldiers  pushed  on,  and  Archer  was  so 
quickly  surrounded  that  he  had  no  opportunity  of  com 
municating  with  Heth,  and  was  compelled  to  surrender. 

As  Heth  was  preparing  to  renew  the  attack  Double- 
day  received  reinforcements,  among  them  Stone's  brigade 
of  Pennsylvania  "  Bucktails,"  who  were  posted  on  the 
right  of  McPherson's  Wood,  where  they  were  vigorously 
attacked  by  Pettigrew.  "We  have  come  to  stay!"  they 
cried  as  they  took  their  places.  General  Doubleday  said 
afterward,  "They  kept  their  word;  for  the  ground  was  an 
open  one,  the  position  extremely  exposed,  and  a  large  num 
ber  of  them  fell  upon  that  spot,  never  to  leave  it  again." 

Noon  brought  Howard's  corps,  the  Eleventh,  two  divi 
sions  of  which  were  posted  on  Seminary  Ridge,  and  the 
other  as  reserves  on  Cemetery  Hill. 

In  the  meantime  Ewell,  at  Heidlersburg,  had  heard 
the  cannon,  and  had  been  marching  from  early  morning 
at  the  head  of  his  veteran  troops,  and  now  swept  down 
like  a  whirlwind  upon  Howard.  The  right  flank  wavered 
and  broke  beneath  the  onslaught  of  Rodes  as  he  came 
southward  from  Oak  Hill.  Rodes  having  marched  dur 
ing  the  morning  in  the  direction  of  Cashtown  before  he 
received  instructions  to  proceed  to  Gettysburg,  had  un 
fortunately  lost  two  hours  at  a  time  when  hours  were  too 
valuable  to  be  estimated  in  terms  of  any  other  precious 
article. 

Ewell  had  been  detained  for  a  time  by  the  Federal 
cavalry.  He  did  not  wish  to  become  seriously  engaged 
in  battle  until  he  heard  from  Early,  who  was  to  come 
from  Heidlersburg.  The  importance  of  Oak  Hill  as  a 
post  of  vantage  impressed  him  at  once,  and  he  directed 


GETTYSBURG— FIRST  DAY.  2?$ 

Rodes  to  take  possession  of  it.  The  arrival  of  Ewell  on 
the  Heidlersburg  road  would  bring  him  to  the  rear  of 
Doubleday,  who  would  thus  be  imprisoned  between  him 
and  Hill  with  whom  he  was  fighting.  This  would  more 
than  compensate  for  Howard's  reinforcement. 

Sickles  was  marching  to  the  field,  and  Howard's  line 
must  be  held  until  he  came.  Howard  had  not  perceived 
the  danger  descending  from  the  north,  and  directed  Schurz 
to  post  Schimmelpfennig  on  Oak  Hill,  which  he  was  pfo- 
ceeding  to  do  when  Rodes  appeared  upon  the  desired 
point.  Just  then  Howard  learned  of  the  approach  of 
Ewell,  whose  artillery  opened  fire  obliquely  upon  Double- 
day's  line,  and  was  weakly  met  by  an  ineffective  counter-fire. 

Ewell,  coming  down  the  Heidlersburg  road,  would 
probably  strike  the  position  which  Schurz  was  trying  to 
hold  between  Oak  Hill  and  the  Mummasburg  road. 

From  the  western  slope  of  Oak  Hill,  Rodes's  artillery 
made  incessant  warfare  on  Doubleday's  guns  on  the 
Cashtown  road  and  drove  them  back  almost  to  the  Semi 
nary.  Rodes  sent  O'Neal's  brigade  against  Doubleday's 
reserves  who  were  advancing  to  his  aid.  From  behind  a 
stone  wall  the  Federals  repelled  O'Neal's  desperate 
charge.  Already  shattered  by  Howard's  batteries  it  was 
with  great  difficulty  that  O'Neal  rallied  when  beyond  the 
reach  of  the  fire.  To  the  left  the  Union  forces  found  an 
other  wall  behind  which  they  met  the  charge  of  Iverson, 
and  just  at  the  crucial  moment  received  reinforcements 
sent  by  Doubleday. 

Doubleday  still  held  the  points  he  had  gained  on  Wil- 
loughby  Run.  Meredith  retained  that  tragic  wood  where 
the  Federals  met  with  their  saddest  loss  of  the  great  battle. 
Behind  the  chain  of  hills  Cooper's  batteries  enfiladed  the 
slopes  of  Seminary  Ridge  from  south  to  north. 

Iverson's  force  made  an  attack  here,  vigorous  but  un- 


2/6  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

availing,  Daniel  being  far  away  and  unable  to  arrive  in 
time  to  support  the  brave  Iverson.  With  the  aid  of  Pet- 
tigrew  he  succeeded  in  driving  Stone  from  his  position. 
A  concerted  attack  against  the  First  Federal  Corps  sent  it 
back  to  a  cross-road  between  the  Carlisle  and  the  Mum- 
masburg  roads,  a  fence-lined  road  at  which  Schim- 
melpfennig  was  able  for  a  moment  to  reform  his  troops. 

Ewell  had  been  watching  the  waste  of  strength  directed 
against  Doubleday,  but  now  he  saw  in  the  distance  a  sure 
harbinger  of  victory,  Early  coming  up  the  Heidlersburg 
road,  the  road  which  had  brought  so  much  comfort  to  the 
Confederates  since  morning  dawned. 

Over  the  golden  glory  of  the  wheat-field,  shining  bril 
liantly  in  the  sun,  was  a  silvery  gleam  of  bayonets.  No 
fairer  sight  ever  dawned  upon  the  longing  vision  of  a 
soldier  on  the  battle-field.  The  sound  of  their  musketry 
rang  out  in  one  grand  report,  and  then  they  rushed  to  the 
assault.  The  Eleventh  Corps  retreated  in  confusion,  the 
First  continued  the  struggle  for  a  time  and  fell  back.  The 
woodland  which  had  been  held  by  the  Federals  since  the 
early  morning  contest  was  relinquished. 

At  four  o'clock,  Fender's  three  brigades  held  the  first 
line,  covering  Heth's  exhausted  troops.  They  advanced 
toward  Seminary  Ridge  where  for  a  time  they  were 
checked  by  Doubleday.  Before  sunset  the  Federals  had 
retreated  to  the  little  town  and  Hill  held  Seminary  Ridge. 
The  Federals  made  an  effort  to  hold  the  town  but  were 
forced  back  to  Cemetery  Ridge,  leaving  four  thousand  of 
their  number  prisoners  in  the  town,  and  abandoning  in  the 
streets  two  cannon  which  were  secured  by  Ewell. 

Early  was  informed  by  one  of  his  brigadiers,  "  Extra- 
Billy  "  Smith,  that  the  Confederate  left  was  threatened  by 
a  Federal  force  approaching  on  the  York  road.  Gordon 
was  sent  to  ward  off  this  supposed  danger.  This  left 


GE TTYSB URG  —  FIRST  DA  Y.  2JJ 

only  the  brigades  of  Hoke  and  Hays  to  help  Ewell 
pursue  the  Union  forces  and  wrest  from  them  the  cov 
eted  hill.  Far  up  on  the  rugged  height  was  a  deadly 
crest  of  frowning  guns  rolling  their  awful  thunder  across 
the  valley.  Their  lightnings  flashed  like  merciless  swords 
through  the  heavy  clouds  of  battle-smoke.  Gordon  was 
still  absent,  and  the  brigades  of  Rodes  were  exhausted 
with  heavy  marching  and  yet  heavier  fighting.  Ewell 
was  brave,  but  there  are  times  when  even  the  bravest 
dare  not. 

Hill's  two  divisions  had  been  engaged  in  the  recent  at 
tack  against  the  First  Corps  and  he  was  not  willing  to  send 
them  again  into  battle.  Longstreet's  men  had  not  been 
able  to  pass  Swell's  wagon-train.  Johnson  had  eighteen 
rniles  to  march  and  had  not  arrived,  and  Anderson  was  in 
the  rear  of  Johnson.  When  Johnson's  division,  which  was 
the  first  reinforcement,  came  up,  the  sun  had  set  and  the 
plan  of  attack  was  abandoned. 

Johnson  took  position  at  Rock  Creek,  intending  to  oc 
cupy  Gulp's  Hill,  almost  joining  Cemetery  Hill  on  the 
east.  Had  he  mounted  a  battery  on  Gulp's  Hill  the  Fed 
eral  position  on  Cemetery  would  have  become  untenable. 
Ewell  also  thought  of  taking  possession  of  Gulp,  and 
would  not  fall  back  to  Seminary  Ridge,  in  accordance 
with  Lee's  suggestion. 

At  four  o'clock,  Hancock  arrived,  took  command  of 
the  defeated  Union  army  and  became  the  savior  of  the 
battle  of  Gettysburg  to  the  Federals.  The  Eleventh 
Corps  reformed  around  Von  Steinwehr  across  the  Taney- 
town  and  Baltimore  roads.  Hancock  placed  two  of 
Doubleday's  divisions  on  the  heights  resting  on  the  Em- 
mitsburg  road.  Wadsworth's  division  was  stationed  on 
Gulp's  Hill,  which  commands  the  valley  of  Rock  Creek, 
faces  Wolf's  Hill  and  Benner's  Hill,  and  protects  Ceme- 


278  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

tery  Hill,  a  position  the  importance  of  which  could  not 
be  overestimated  in  the  crisis  at  which  the  fortunes  of  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  had  arrived. 

At  the  time  of  Hancock's  arrival  on  the  field  Lee  stood 
on  the  heights  opposite  and  looked  over  at  Cemetery  and 
Gulp's.  At  his  feet  was  Gettysburg  filled  with  Ewell  s 
victorious  Southrons,  flaming  with  ardor,  strong  with  the 
intoxicating  wine  of  success.  Above  were  the  slopes  of 
Cemetery  Hill,  covered  with  defeated,  disorganized,  panic- 
stricken  men,  with  no  dominant  mind  to  reduce  them  to 
order.  One  glorious  rush  across  that  blood-drenched 
vale,  and  another  flag  might  proudly  float  over  the  seas 
of  the  world. 

Lee  could  not  know  the  weakness  of  the  opposing 
force.  He  knew  that  his  own  army  was  scattered.  Long- 
street's  men  had  marched  all  day  and  did  not  reach  Wil- 
loughby  Run  until  midnight.  A  general  engagement 
could  not  be  risked  in  the  absence  of  so  large  a  part  of  his 
army.  "Gentlemen,  we  will  attack  the  enemy  in  the 
morning  as  early  as  practicable,"  said  General  Lee  at  the 
close  of  a  conference  with  his  generals. 

Although  Lee  had  said  before  leaving  Virginia  that 
he  would  not  fight  an  offensive  battle,  the  events  which 
had  taken  place  in  his  absence  had  produced  a  situa 
tion  which  rendered  it  very  difficult  to  carry  out  his 
original  purpose.  He  had  captured  more  prisoners  than 
he  had  lost  and,  though  suffering  greatly  by  the  casual 
ties  of  the  first  day,  he  had  inflicted  heavy  losses  on 
the  Federals  and  driven  them  from  their  strong  posi 
tion.  He  had  taken  possession  of  the  field  and  of  the 
town.  He  had  every  reason  to  be  satisfied  with  the 
work  of  his  army.  In  his  report,  having  set  forth  the 
situation  which  resulted  from  the  events  of  the  first  day, 
he  continues: 


GETTYSBURG —  FIRST  DAY.  2/9 

Encouraged  by  the  successful  issue  of  the  engagement  of  the  first 
day,  and  in  view  of  the  valuable  results  that  would  ensue  from  the  defeat 
of  the  army  of  General  Meade,  it  was  thought  advisable  to  renew  the 
attack. 

At  five  o'clock  the  Federals,  under  the  skilful  manage 
ment  of  Hancock,  were  strongly  posted  on  Cemetery  Hill, 
and  held  Gulp's  Hill.  Sickles  and  Birney  were  coming  up 
the  Emmitsburg  road  with  troops  yet  unworn  by  the 
fatigue  of  battle.  A  little  later  Slocum  arrived  from 
Taneytown  with  the  Twelfth  Corps,  and  to  him  Hancock 
turned  over  the  command. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

GETTYSBURG  —  SECOND    DAY. 

At  daybreak  on  the  2d,  Ewell's  corps  held  the  town  of 
Gettysburg,  Benner's  Hill,  a  ridge  connecting  Gulp's  Hill 
with  Cemetery  Hill,  and  a  line  from  Gettysburg  to  Semi 
nary  Ridge,  where  the  main  army  was  drawn  up. 

On  the  ridge,  Fender  was  at  the  left  above  the  Semi 
nary,  Heth  to  the  right,  Anderson's  division  a  mile  and  a 
half  to  the  rear  on  the  Cashtown  road  between  Marsh 
Creek  and  Willoughby  Run. 

At  four  o'clock  Hood,  McLaws,  and  Anderson  were 
advancing  toward  Gettysburg  while  waiting  for  orders  to 
take  position.  Pickett  was  leaving  Chambersburg,  where 
he  had  been  left  with  his  three  brigades  to  guard  trains, 
and  Stuart  was  quitting  Carlisle  in  great  haste  to  join  Lee. 

By  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  whole  Confederate 
army  was  assembled  around  Gettysburg,  except  Stuart's 
cavalry  and  the  five  thousand  infantry  which  Pickett  could 
bring  into  line.  Had  this  concentration  taken  place 
earlier,  the  attack  could  have  been  made  against  the  scat 
tered  forces  of  Meade  with  every  prospect  of  success. 

Opposed  to  them  was  a  force  stretched  along  Ceme 
tery  Ridge,  and  a  division  on  Gulp's  Hill,  with  lines  in 
reserve.  Meade  came  upon  the  field  at  one  o'clock, 
crossing  the  cemetery  where,  among  the  stones  sacred  to 
the  happy  dead,  the  wretched  living  lay,  stretched  out  in 
a  sorrowful  death  in  life.  Disturbed  by  the  advancing 
tread  of  the  horses  of  Meade  and  his  staff,  some  of  the 
exhausted  men  started  up,  looking  like  ghosts  in  the 

280 


GETTYSBURG  — SECOND  DAY.  28 1 

light  of  the  moon,  and  then  lay  down  again,  overcome  by 
a  fatigue  for  which  there  could  be  no  rest. 

In  the  early  dawn  the  Federal  commander  inspected 
the  position  and  placed  his  troops  as  they  arrived.  Slo- 
cum  was  posted  on  Gulp's  Hill,  the  barb  of  the  fish-hook; 
Wadsworth  at  his  left;  Howard  at  the  bend  on  Cemetery 
Hill,  protected  by  the  stone  walls  at  the  foot  of  the  hill 
and  Steinwehr's  guns  at  the  crest. 

When  Hancock's  corps,  the  Second,  arrived  at  seven 
o'clock  in  the  morning  it  was  placed  on  the  stem  of  the 
hook  to  the  left  of  Cemetery  Hill.  Sickles,  with  the 
Third  Corps,  who  had  come  upon  the  field  in  the  night, 
was  posted  on  Hancock's  left.  Reynolds's  corps,  the 
First,  commanded  by  Newton,  who  had  been  ordered 
from  the  Sixth  Corps  for  the  purpose,  was  in  reserve 
at  the  east  of  the  north  part  of  the  stem.  Sykes,  with 
the  Fifth  Corps,  was  placed  behind  Round  Top  as  a 
reserve.  It  held  this  position  until  the  arrival  of  the 
Sixth  Corps,  under  Sedgwick,  which  had  marched-  from 
Manchester  and  was  on  the  field  at  three  o'clock  Then 
the  Fifth  Corps  was  moved  forward  to  the  extreme  left 
of  the  line  and  the  Sixth  took  its  place. 

The  Federal  army  occupied  a  space  of  about  three 
miles,  and  formed  a  convex  curve  which  admitted  of 
ready  condensation.  Batteries  gloomed  darkly  down 
from  the  crest  of  the  ridge.  Signal-flags  fluttered  from 
the  tall  peaks  overlooking  the  valley.  The  line  ex 
tended  southward  from  Cemetery  Hill  to  the  Round 
Tops.  It  reached  across  the  Baltimore  road  to  the 
woodlands  of  Rock  Creek  and  the  ravines  of  Wolf's 
Hill.  At  nine  o'clock  Meade's  army  was  posted  and 
waiting  for  the  attack.  As  Meade  was  inspecting  his 
ground  while  Aurora  was  yet  coyly  flirting  with  day, 
over  on  the  opposite  ridge  Lee,  Hill,  Longstreet,  and 


282  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

|p 

Hood  were  consulting  in  regard  to  preparations  for  the 
coining  ordeal. 

Lee  might  retire  into  the  passes  of  the  mountains. 
Then  Meade  would  have  to  leave  his  strong  position  and  go 
after  him,  thus  losing  all  he  had  gained,  and  being  unable 
to  use  to  advantage  the  large  reinforcements  which  had 
come  to  his  aid.  This  would  look  like  a  retreat,  and  hav 
ing  fairly  won  the  first  day  Lee  did  not  doubt  his  ability 
to  win  the  second. 

He  might  wait  where  he  was  for  Meade's  attack, 
which  would  draw  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  from  its 
stronghold  and  give  Lee  the  advantage  of  position;  but 
he  could  not  stay  long  concentrated  upon  the  hills,  for 
he  had  no  store  from  which  to  gain  supplies.  The  ad 
vantage  would  be  upon  the  side  of  the  enemy.  More 
over,  the  soldiers,  full  of  the  enthusiasm  of  success,  would 
not  keep  their  martial  fire  through  a  period  of  waiting. 

He  must  either  draw  Meade  from  his  strong  position, 
or  attack  him  where  he  was.  He  decided  to  take  the  lat 
ter  course,  which  was,  perhaps,  the  more  dangerous,  but 
it  had  the  advantage  of  meeting  the  wishes  of  his  soldiers, 
upon  whom  retreat  might  have  a  demoralizing  effect. 

Longstreet  urged  a  movement  around  Meade's  left. 
Lee  rejected  this  plan,  and  expressed  his  impatience  to 
have  Longstreet  begin  his  attack. 

"The  enemy  is  here,"  he  said,  "and  if  we  do  not  whip 
him,  he  will  whip  us." 

General  Longstreet  replied:  "I  never  like  to  go  into 
battle  with  one  boot  off,  and  I  would  rather  wait  for 
Pickett." 

Lee  ordered  Longstreef  to  lead  his  corps  into  action 
along  the  Emmitsburg  road.  General  Lee  then  rode  into 
Gettysburg  and  to  Ewell's  headquarters.  When  Ewell 
should  hear  the  sound  of  the  attack  upon  the  left  he  was 


GETTYSBURG— SECOND  DAY.  283 

to  open  on  the  right,  and  the  center  was  to  fall  into  battle 
when  the  Federal  line  should  appear  to  be  shaken. 

Two  divisions  of  Longstreet  were  on  the  right,  Hill  cen 
ter,  Ewell  left.  Johnson's  division  was  east  of  Gulp's  Hill, 
and  Early  and  Rodes  formed  a  line  through  Gettysburg. 
To  the  right  of  Rodes  was  Fender's  division.  Extended 
along  Seminary  Ridge  were  the  other  divisions  of  the 
Third  Corps.  McLaws's  division  was  opposite  Sickles, 
and  Hood's  three  brigades  were  bearing  directly  upon 
Round  Top.  Pickett's  brigades  were  still  at  Chambers- 
burg  and  did  not  reach  the  field  until  the  third.  Law 
was  marching  from  New  Guilford.  Along  the  eastern 
edge  of  the  ridge  the  artillery  looked  out  ominously  to 
the  enemy. 

The  Confederate  army  formed  a  deadly  five-mile 
crescent  around  Seminary  Ridge  and  the  east  of  Gettys 
burg,  its  concavity  turned  hospitably  to  the  enemy  op 
posite.  It  was  sheltered  by  a  dense  growth  of  oaks  and 
pines  on  the  top  and  the  western  slope  of  the  ridge. 

Down  below  mild-eyed  cattle  peacefully  enjoyed  their 
early  breakfast,  all  unwitting  of  the  baleful  schemes  of 
men.  The  golden  wheat  made  a  vivid  sea  of  color,  wav 
ing  gently  in  the  wind  of  the  beautiful  summer  morning. 

Longstreet  awaited  the  arrival  of  Law's  brigade, 
which  reached  the  field  at  noon  after  a  march  of  twenty- 
eight  miles  in  eleven  hours.  With  the  rest  of  Hood's 
division  it  took  position  behind  the  right  of  the  Third 
Corps.  Alexander's  batteries  were  posted  on  Seminary 
Hill. 

Meade  felt  so  strong  in  his  position  for  defense  that 
he  supposed  Lee  would  also  recognize  his  invincibility, 
and  would  decline  to  attack  him  in  front,  confining  his 
operations  to  a  flank  movement  which  would  turn  him  out 
of  his  position.  He  held  a  council  of  his  corpb  com- 


284  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.   . 

manders  and,  with  their  approval,  directed  Butterfield  to 
prepare  a  detailed  order  for  the  withdrawal  of  the  troops 
if  his  apprehensions  should  be  verified.  Longstreet's 
guns  broke  up  the  conference  and  called  Meade  to  the  de 
fense  of  his  left. 

Sickles  had  left  his  troops  in  charge  of  Birney  and  had 
gone  to  the  council  in  Meade's  headquarters.  When  the 
roar  of  the  cannon  called  the  chiefs  back  to  their  posts, 
Meade  followed  Sickles,  who  was  posted  on  ground  that  was 
low  and  commanded  by  an  elevation  in  its  front,  being 
therefore  untenable.  He  had  applied  for  permission  to 
occupy  more  elevated  ground  half  or  three-quarters  of  a 
mile  in  front.  Receiving  no  order,  and  his  outposts  hav 
ing  been  driven  back,  he  took  the  ground  connecting 
with  Round  Top  and  Hancock,  technically  carrying  out 
instructions.  This  weakened  his  line  and  presented  too 
great  a  front  for  so  small  a  corps.  From  the  peach-or 
chard  it  was  refused  to  a  wheat-field,  forming  a  deadly 
salient  at  the  orchard,  which  has  since  held  a  gruesome 
place  in  history  as  the  "  Bloody  Angle."  Meade  felt  un 
certain  as  to  whether  this  ground  could  be  held,  and  sent 
for  reinforcements.  Sickles  proposed  to  fall  back,  but  it 
was  too  late.  He  was  still  further  endangered  by  the  re 
moval  of  Buford's  cavalry  from  the  left,  which  had  been 
ordered  away  by  Pleasanton. 

The  weak  points  of  the  line  were  covered  as  well  as 
possible  by  the  five  batteries  of  the  Third  Corps  and  three 
others  from  the  reserve  artillery.  Thirty  pieces  of  cannon 
defended  the  orchard.  In  the  wheat-field  were  twelve 
howitzers.  A  battery  on  Devil's  Den  commanded  the 
gorge  of  Plum  Run  and  all  the  wooded  slopes  as  far  as 
the  Emmitsburg  road. 

Lee  was  quick  to  detect  his  advantage,  and  expected 
to  reach  the  crest  of  the  ridge  from  this  point.  He  directed 


GETTYSBURG— SECOND  DAY.  285 

Longstreet  to  carry  the  position,  while  Ewell  attacked  the 
high  ground  to  the  right.  General  Hill  threatened  the 
center  of  the  line. 

Longstreet  formed  his  line  of  battle,  with  Hood  upon  the 
right  and  McLaws  to  the  left,  Anderson's  division  of  Hill's 
corps  being  on  the  left  of  McLaws.  On  an  elevation  to  the 
left  he  posted  his  artillery.  Between  three  and  four  o'clock 
the  artillery  engagement  began  with  appalling  effect  on 
both  sides.  The  tide  of  battle  rolled  on  with  frightful  ve 
locity  and  power  toward  the  peach-orchard  and  dashed 
upon  the  fatal  angle,  open  to  attack  upon  two  sides. 

The  artillery  fire  grew  heavier,  and  Hood  opened  the 
right  to  the  east.  He  perceiv  d  the  importance  of  Little 
Round  Top,  hitherto  left  unguarded  as  a  mere  signal- 
station,  and  ordered  Law  to  the  attack.  Robertson 
dashed  forward  against  Devil's  Den,  and  the  fierce 
struggle  which  took  place  among  its  rocky  slopes  well 
proved  its  title  to  its  name  of  ill  omen. 

When  the  charge  upon  Little  Round  Top  began  only  a 
thin  Federal  line,  misty  and  insubstantial  in  the  distance, 
protected  that  coveted  point.  When  Hood's  valiant  men 
reached  the  frail  barrier  that  had  been  like  a  gauze  veil 
floating  in  the  air  it  had  suddenly  concentrated  into  a  wall 
of  iron  from  which  blazed  forth  blinding  sheets  of  flame. 

Warren  had  a  short  time  before  ascended  Little  Round 
Top  for  the  purpose  of  viewing  the  field,  and  had  seen  the 
long  line  of  bayonets  winding  in  and  out  like  a  silver  ser 
pent  among  the  leaves  in  the  forest  opposite.  Recogniz 
ing  the  importance  of  the  hill  on  which  he  stood  he  per 
ceived  at  once  that  the  Confederates  had  also  appreciated 
its  value,  and  that  it  was  the  object  of  this  gleaming  array 
of  arms. 

When  the  signal-officers  on  the  crest  of  the  hill  saw 
the  advance  they  furled  their  flags  and  prepared  to  leave 


286  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

the  position  without  a  contest.  Warren  directed  them  to 
unfurl  their  flags  and  signal  for  help.  Sykes  sent  Colonel 
Vincent  with  a  brigade  of  the  Fifth  Corps  to  the  foot  of 
Little  Round  Top.  Hazlett's  battery  struggled  up  the 
rocky  acclivity  and  amid  a  heavy  rain  of  bullets  took  posi 
tion,  circling  the  crest  with  a  deadly  coronet. 

Colonel  Patrick  O'Rourke,  with  the  One  Hundred  and 
Fortieth  New  York,  dashed  up  the  hill  and  came  face  to 
face  with  the  almost  victorious  soldiers  of  Law  climb 
ing  up  the  opposite  side.  The  Federal  muskets  were 
empty  but  there  was  no  time  to  load.  "This  way,  boys!" 
shouted  O'Rourke,  drawing  his  sword  and  circling  it  high 
in  the  air.  Over  the  height  he  rushed  and  down  the  slope 
into  a  sea  of  fire  and  smoke  from  which  his  gallant  soul 
went  up  above  the  warfare  of  the  world. 

Hood's  Texans  dashed  again  and  again  upon  the  flam 
ing  wall  which  protected  Little  Round  Top.  Again  and 
again  they  were  driven  back,  only  to  rush  forward  once 
more  with  still  greater  impetuosity.  The  gallant  Hood, 
the  inspiration  of  the  ardent  Texans,  was  wounded  and 
Law  led  on  the  charge. 

Vincent, defending  the  hill  at  its  base,  followed  O'Rourke 
beyond  the  battle.  Weed  fell  upon  the  flame-girdled 
crest,  and  Hazlett,  bending  over  to  catch  his  last  dying 
words,  sank  lifeless  across  the  dying  chief. 

The  valor  of  Hood's  Texans  and  Law's  men  of 
Alabama  had  not  dimmed,  but  they  had  lost  heavily  in 
their  fierce  charges.  As  they  rushed  again  upon  the 
height  they  were  cut  in  two  and  overwhelmed  by  "  Cham 
berlain's  wedge,"  which  was  skilfully  formed  by  accelerat 
ing  the  motion  of  the  center  of  the  regiment,  the  Twen 
tieth  Maine,  and  retarding  that  of  the  wings. 

Brave  Texans,  noble  sons  of  Alabama,  no  more  price 
less  treasure  sanctifies  the  field  of  Gettysburg  than  your 


GETTYSBURG  — SECOND  DAY. 

life-blood  which  crimsoned  the  waves  of  Plum  Run,  rip 
pling  past  the  foot  of  Little  Round  Top. 

In  five  minutes  the  Federals  had  gained  the  dominant 
point  of  the  second  day's  fight. 

While  the  contest  for  Little  Round  Top  was  raging 
McLaws  and  Anderson  attacked  the  refused  line  of 
Sickles,  commanded  by  Birney,  making  the  weak  point 
near  the  peach-orchard  the  object  of  the  fiercest  assault. 

On  the  slopes  of  Plum  Run  was  Meagher's  Irish 
brigade,  with  the  golden  harp  shining  brilliantly  on  that 
field  of  green  so  dear  to  the  sons  of  Erin,  who  have 
borne  their  flag  in  triumph  over  the  battle-fields  of  all 
nations. 

"  Meagher  of  the  Sword,"  who  had  gallantly  led  them  to 
battle  on  so  many  bloody  fields,  at  whose  signal  they  had 
rushed  up  Marye's  Height  where  the  "blossoms  of  blood 
on  their  sprigs  of  green  "  flower  in  immortal  glory  on  the 
rugged  slopes,  was  not  with  them  now.  The  Irish  hero 
had  fallen  a  thrice-honored  victim  to  the  petty  malice 
which  pervaded  the  War  Department  in  Washington,  and 
had  relinquished  a  position  which  his  brave  heart  and 
sensitive  honor  would  not  permit  him  longer  to  hold. 

At  the  moment  for  joining  the  attack,  the  ranks  knelt, 
and  the  priest,  their  chaplain,  from  a  natural  pulpit  of 
stone,  pronounced  a  general  absolution.  The  command 
"Forward!"  followed  and  the  Irish  brigade  rushed  into 
the  fight  and  stopped  Anderson's  advance. 

Alexander's  guns  poured  destruction  upon  the  "  bloody 
angle,"  moving  forward  in  the  desperate  charge  led  by 
Barksdale  against  that  fatal  salient.  Under  that  impetu 
ous  assault  Sickles's  line  fell  back  across  the  stone  wall. 
Sickles,  standing  with  his  staff  at  the  Trostle  House,  was 
struck  by  a  ball  which  broke  his  leg  and  he  was  carried 
into  the  house.  The  command  was  transferred  to  Birney, 


288  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.       • 

Hancock  having  general  supervision  of  the  Second  and 
Third  Corps. 

To  the  west  and  south  of  the  orchard  the  battle  raged 
with  increasing  fury.  It  spread  over  the  wheat-field,  and 
the  golden  grain  was  crushed  and  stained  with  its  crimson 
flow.  Out  of  five  thousand  men  Birney's  division  had 
lost  two  thousand.  The  batteries  on  the  right  of  the  line 
were  withdrawn,  the  left  continued  firing,  retreating  a 
step  at  each  discharge.  As  Birney's  line  fell  back  Hum 
phreys,  looking  toward  the  west,  swung  with  it  to  preserve 
the  line,  leaving  a  weak  point  at  the  Emmitsburg  road. 

Three  brigades  were  on  the  march  to  attack  Hum 
phreys,  who  had  left  half  his  troops  on  the  field,  and  whose 
flags  alone  showed  that  but  a  short  time  ago,  he  had  led 
ten  regiments.  Only  one  regiment,  the  First  Minnesota, 
was  within  call,  though  heavy  reinforcements  could  be 
brought  to  Humphreys's  aid  if  a  little  time  could  be  gained. 
"Do  you  see  those  colors?"  cried  Hancock,  pointing  to 
the  flags  which  waved  over  the  advancing  brigade.  "  Take 
them!"  The  regiment  dashed  forward,  losing  eighty-two 
per  cent,  of  its  number,  but  the  colors  were  captured,  and 
in  the  pause  which  followed  reserve  artillery  was  brought 
forward,  and  reinforcements  were  sent  from  the  Federal 
right. 

Anderson's  and  Fender's  troops  were  waiting  for  an 
order  to  take  Ziegler's  Grove,  but  it  did  not  come.  Fender 
hastened  forward,  evidently  to  lead  his  men  to  the  attack. 
A  shell  burst  and  Fender  was  carried  back,  mortally 
wounded.  Anderson  attempted  to  join  lines  with  Mc- 
Laws,  thereby  weakening  his  line. 

The  little  wood  in  front  of  Round  Top  was  still  held 
by  a  Federal  force  which  was  retreating  when  the  battle- 
chorus  of  a  brigade  of  the  Pennsylvania  Reserves  was 
heard,  and  McCandless's  men  came  sweeping  down  to  the 


GETTYSBURG— SECOND  DAY.  289 

stone  wall  at  the  edge  of  the  road  behind  which  some 
Confederates  lay  hidden,  bearing  them  back  and  ending 
the  fight  on  the  ground  about  the  Round  Tops. 

Day  will  not  wait  for  victory  or  defeat.  The  sun  glides 
down  the  west,  just  as  on  other  days,  and  its  last  rays  fall 
athwart  Seminary  Hill  and  become  entangled  in  the  bat 
tle-clouds  that  gloom  over  Cemetery  Hill  and  the  Round 
Tops.  They  grow  dim  and  blurred  in  the  heavy  smoke 
and  shiver  into  lurid  tints. 

Thus  it  looks  on  the  last  effort  of  the  gallant  Confed 
erate  right  to  save  the  second  day  of  Gettysburg. 

It  sees  the  valiant  Barksdale,  a  vivid  flame  of  war,, 
flashing  over  the  battle-field,  his  long  white  hair  stream 
ing  like  a  snowy  banner  in  the  battle-wind.  It  sees  him 
fall.  It  watches  the  heroic  efforts  of  his  ardent  Missis- 
sippians  to  save  him,  and  sees  them  beaten  back,  leaving 
their  dying  chief  in  the  hands  of  the  foe. 

It  sees  the  wild  dash  of  Wright  at  the  head  of  his  mag 
nificent  Georgians,  up  the  slope,  over  stone  walls  to  the 
crest  of  the  ridge,  to  the  very  mouths  of  the  vengeful 
guns.  Wilcox  is  at  the  base,  Perry  has  fallen  back,  far 
away  are  all  the  troops  which  might  have  helped  to  hold 
the  position  so  gallantly  won.  The  Federal  line  closes 
up,  Wright  and  his  heroic  Georgians  fall  back,  and  the 
day  is  lost. 

Lee,  Hill,  and  Anderson,  over  on  Seminary  Hill,  were 
also  watching  that  sad  and  thrilling  scene.  The  sun 
grew  weary  of  it  all,  and  went  beyond  the  horizon  to  shine, 
we  may  hope,  upon  fairer  scenes  than  these,  but  the  other 
three  looked  until  nightfall  —  looked  on  in  silence. 

The  purple  veil  of  the  summer  twilight  fell  slowly 
and  solemnly  over  the  field.  The  darker  veil  of  defeat 
shrouded  Longstreet's  gallant  men. 

So  zealous  had  the   Federal  commander  been   in  his 

19 


290  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

efforts  to  strengthen  the  left  that  he  had  reduced  his  right 
to  the  lowest  point  compatible  with  existence. 

Lee  had  directed  Ewell  to  attack  upon  that  side  at  the 
same  time  that  Longstreet's  guns  opened  upon  the  peach- 
orchard,  the  thunder  of  his  cannon  to  be  the  signal.  For 
the  second  time  the  wind  had  not  blown  fair  for  the  Con 
federate  cause,  and  the  report  of  the  guns  did  not  reach 
the  ear  of  Ewell.  Consequently,  his  attack  was  delayed 
two  hours  after  the  opening  on  the  right.  The  sound  of 
Hill's  guns  at  five  o'clock  first  announced  to  Ewell  the 
fact  that  the  battle  was  on,  and  his  batteries  began  the  at 
tack.  They  were  soon  silenced  by  the  guns  of  Weiderick 
and  Ricketts  on  Cemetery  Hill,  which  being  protected  by 
lunettes,  had  an  advantage  over  Ewell's  unprotected 
batteries. 

To  the  east  of  Gettysburg  from  behind  a  hill  came 
long  lines  of  infantry  moving  on  in  grand  array.  Stevens's 
battery,  between  Cemetery  Hill  and  Gulp's  Hill,  opened 
upon  them  a  terrific  fire,  enfilading  the  line,  and  from 
the  long  blue  ranks  on  Cemetery  Hill  poured  a  heavy  rain 
of  lead  and  flame,  beating  them  to  the  earth. 

From  the  stone  wall  Howard's  infantry  swept  them 
down  like  grain  before  the  scythe.  They  did  not  pause. 
The  famous  Louisiana  Tigers  were  leading,  and  they 
would  go  forward  while  there  were  enough  of  them  left 
to  charge  upon  the  foe. 

The  brigades  of  Hoke  and  Hays  followed.  They 
cleared  the  stone  wall  and  Stevens  ceased  firing  lest  his 
friends  should  fall  victims.  Weiderick's  men  were  borne 
back.  Ricketts's  guns  alone  poured  death  into  the  as 
saulting  column.  Over  the  battery  was  a  fierce  hand-to- 
hand  struggle,  and  the  gunners  were  almost  overpowered, 
when  Carroll's  men  rushed  to  the  rescue,  and  the  Tigers 
who  had  ascended  the  slope  seventeen  hundred  strong, 


GETTYSBURG  — SECOND  DAY.  2Q1 

triumphant  in  the  pride  of  never  having  been  defeated  in 
a  charge,  reeled  back,  five  hundred  in  number,  never  again 
to  be  known  to  battle-field. 

Brave  Tigers,  whose  lines  of  life  were  but  faintly  illu 
mined  by  the  light  in  which  evolves  that  inborn  inheritance 
of  all  mankind,  an  undeveloped  soul  —  under  the  influence 
of  a  noble,  grand  and  heroic  purpose  they  displayed  that 
God-given  greatness  which  commanded  the  admiration 
and  respect  of  both  armies. 

While  the  Tigers  were  making  their  daring  and  bril 
liant  charge  Johnson  crossed  Rock  Creek  and  came 
through  the  forest  against  the  Union  skirmishers,  driving 
them  in.  Under  the  heavy  fire  of  Greene's  and  Wads- 
worth's  men,  Johnson  passed  around  to  the  right,  and  took 
possession  of  the  breastworks  which  had  been  constructed 
with  much  labor  and  care  and  then  vacated  in  the  effort 
to  reinforce  Sickles.  After  a  fierce  battle  Johnson  was 
dislodged  and  passed  through  the  woods  in  the  rear  and 
almost  reached  the  Baltimore  road,  coming  within  mus 
ket-range  of  the  headquarters  of  General  Slocum,  the 
commander  of  the  Union  right  wing.  Had  Ewell  known 
the  advantage  he  had  gained  he  might  have  set  the  whole 
Federal  army  in  retreat. 

Behind  Round  Top  the  Sixth  Corps  alone  kept  guard 
through  the  long  hours  of  the  night,  their  gaze  turned  north 
ward,  anxiously  watching  for  the  long  dark  line  to  loom  up 
heavily  in  the  spectral  moonlight.  The  radiance  of  that  fair 
July  night  lit  no  advancing  columns,  but  only  groups  of 
gray-clad  men  resting  on  their  arms  under  the  whispering 
leaves  of  the  forest  of  Rock  Creek,  and  southward  where 
Round  Top  stood  deeply  silhouetted  against  a  silvery  back 
ground,  a  dark  wall  of  soldiers  standing  at  gaze,  their  bayo 
nets  flashing  back  the  rays  of  the  moon,  and  their  guns 
glooming  darkly  against  the  glittering  curtain  of  night. 


PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.  • 

The  mystic  light  grew  dim  and  the  moon  hid  behind 
dark  veils  of  cloud.  The  soft  rain  fell  on  the  woodlands 
of  Rock  Creek  and  on  the  Round  Tops  hidden  away  in 
the  folds  of  the  heavy  clouds.  It  dropped  gently  on  the 
stones  above  the  peaceful  sleepers  in  the  mountain  ceme 
tery  and  on  the  weary,  restless  slumberers  on  the  blood- 
drenched  ground.  Still  the  gray  groups  sheltered  them 
selves  under  the  trees  that  bordered  the'  rippling  stream, 
and  down  behind  the  rugged  slope  of  Round  Top  the 
watchers  kept  silent  guard  till  the  dawn  of  a  new  day 
faintly  silvered  the  east. 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

GETTYSBURG  —  THIRD    DAY. 

Pickett's  division  —  reserved  for  the  last  great  scene  in 
the  tragedy  of  Gettysburg  —  had  not  yet  entered  the  circle 
of  fire  which  environed  the  mountains,  filled  the  valleys 
with  death,  and  turned  the  silvery  streams  into  rivers  of 
blood. 

Until  the  night  of  July  I  j^the  three  brigades)  under 
Pickett's  command,  Corse  and  Jenkins  having  been  left 
behind(remained  on  guard  at  Chambersburg. )  Being  then 
relieved  by  Imboden,  at  two  o'clock  on  the  morning  of 
the  2d,  (they  were  under  marching  orders  and  moving 
along  the  Gettysburg  road.')  In  the  pass  of  the  South 
Mountain  a  fire  flashed  upon  them  from  sharpshooters 
stationed  in  the  gorges  of  the  crags. 

On  the  east  side  of  the  range  the  air  trembled  with  the 
battle-rage  of  Gettysburg.  j^The  ardor  of  the  men  kindled 
into  flame,  and  with  eager,  impatient  feet  they  pressed 
forward  to  answer  the  call.  Through  the  intense  heat  of 
one  of  the  most  fiery  days  with  which  July  ever  scorched 
the  earth  Pickett's  men  marched  twenty-four  miles  and 
at  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  halted  three  miles  from 
Gettysburg.  \ 

Though  tney  were  parched  with  heat  and  worn  by  the 
march,  their  commander  sent  his  inspector-general,  Colo 
nel  Walter  Harrison,  to  report  to  Lee  their  position  and 
condition  and  to  tell  him  that,  notwithstanding  their  fa 
tigue,  they  could  with  two  hours'  rest  be  in  any  part  of 
the  field  in  which  he  might  wish  to  use  them. 

293 


294  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.  • 

Pickett  rode  on  to  meet  Longstreet,  who  had  ex 
pressed  a  desire  to  see  him,  and  who,  though  relieved  and 
delighted  by  his  arrival  upon  the  field,  manifested  great 
anxiety.  While  conversing  with  Longstreet  Pickett 
viewed  the  ground  and  watched  the  fight  in  front  of  Lit 
tle  Round  Top,  where  the  other  two  divisions  of  Long- 
street's  corps  under  Hood  and  McLaws,  having  started 
twenty-four  hours  in  advance  of  his  three  brigades,  had 
struck  the  corps  commanded  by  Sickles.  He  was  thus 
engaged  when  Colonel  Harrison  rode  up  with  Lee's  reply: 
"Tell  General  Pickett  that  I  shall  not  want  him  this  even 
ing;  to  let  his  men  rest,  and  I  will  send  him  word  when 
I  want  him." 

Pickett  and  Harrison  left  Longstreet  still  fighting  with 
fearless  tenacity  in  front  of  Round  Top,  and  rode  back  to 
the  division  to  seek  such  rest  as  they  might  find.  They 
had  viewed  the  field,  had  studied  its  advantages  and  dis 
advantages,  had  witnessed  the  terrific  struggle,  had 
watched  A.  P.  Hill's  attack  upon  the  center,  thoroughly 
understood  the  situation,  and  knew  that  before  them  lay 
a  dark  and  tragic  day. 

Lee  had  not  been  so  successful  on  the  second  day  as 
on  the  first,  but  he  had  gained  some  ground  by  a  series  of 
brilliant  movements,  and  his  repulses  had  been  attended 
with  heavy  loss  to  the  enemy.  In  his  report  he  says: 
"These  partial  successes  determined  me  to  continue  the 
assault  next  day." 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  2d  Stuart  came  in  from  Car 
lisle  and  joined  Lee  on  Seminary  Ridge.  He  was  followed 
by  Kilpatrick,  who  lost  about  thirty  men  in  a  skirmish  with 
Hampton,  the  latter  having  been  left  by  Stuart  at  Hunters- 
town  to  prevent  the  Federal  troopers  from  falling  upon 
Ewell's  rear. 

Lee   had    concentrated    more   than    a   hundred    guns 


GETTYSBURG— THIRD  DAY.  295 

against  the  left  center,  under  Hancock,  posted  on  Ceme 
tery  Ridge,  with  Howard  on  the  right  and  Sedgwick, 
Sykes,  and  Sickles  on  the  left. 

In  the  moonlight  of  that  radiant  night  the  Federals  re 
formed  their  lines  among  their  fallen  comrades.  Perhaps 
many  a  leader  echoed  in  his  heart  the  softly  breathed  as 
piration  of  Birney,  "  I  wish  I  were  already  dead,"  as  he 
looked  upon  the  few  who  were  left  to  follow  him,  and  the 
many  who  lay  in  unbroken  rest  while  the  storm  of  battle 
swept  unheeded  over  them. 

As  early  as  three  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  3d  of 
July  Pickett's  division  was  under  arms  and  moving  to  the 
right  and  southeast  of  the  Cashtown  and  Gettysburg 
road.  Line  of  battle  was  formed,  facing  Cemetery  Ridge, 
Kemper's  brigade  on  the  right,  Garnett's  on  the  left,  and 
Armistead  immediately  in  rear  of  Kemper  and  Garnett, 
there  not  being  room  for  all  in  extended  line  of  battle. 

The  fences  and  other  obstructions  were  cleared  away. 
The  line  was  formed  a  little  to  the  left  of  Meade's 
center.  On  the  left  was  Heth's  division,  commanded  by 
Brigadier-General  Pettigrew.  To  Pettigrew's  left  and 
rear  were  two  brigades  of  Pender's  division,  commanded 
by  Brigadier-General  Trimble.  Wilcox's  brigade  was 
lying  about  two  hundred  yards  in  front  of  our  line. 
Orders  were  given  to  the  men  to  lie  down  and  keep  still, 
that  they  might  not  attract  the  attention  of  the  enemy. 

In  obedience  to  a  summons  from  Longstreet,  Pickett 
rode  to  the  top  of  the  ridge  in  front,  where  Lee  and  Long- 
street  were  making  a  reconnoissance  of  Meade's  position, 
which  seemed  to  be  of  invincible  strength.  The  clouds 
of  the  early  morning  had  drifted  away  and  the  sun  shone 
out  with  intense  brightness  and  heat.  In  its  light  were 
revealed  all  the  difficulties  of  the  ground  between  the 
Confederate  line  and  the  point  of  attack.  Woods, 


296  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.       m 

streams,  and  steep  hills  impeded  the  movements  of.  the 
Confederate  guns  and  necessitated  a  fight  with  infantry 
against  the  Federal  batteries.  In  the  lower  ground,  be 
yond  this  space,  the  enemy  had  thrown  out  a  very  heavy 
skirmish-line.  The  ridge  was  defended  by  two  tiers  of 
artillery,  supported  by  a  double  line  of  infantry.  Heavy 
reserves  of  infantry  were  ranged  in  double  column  on  the 
crest  of  the  heights,  protected  by  a  stone  wall  extending 
along  the  side  of  the  ridge.  Across  the  lowland  was  a 
rail  fence  to  obstruct  the  march  of  our  troops.  In  order 
to  come  to  close  quarters  with  the  enemy  our  men  would 
be  compelled  to  charge  over  half  a  mile  of  open  ground 
in  the  face  of  a  terrible  rain  of  canister  and  shrapnel. 

At  twenty  minutes  to  four  the  report  of  Geary's  pistol 
rang  out  from  the  Federal  lines,  shivering  the  morning 
air  with  its  ominous  resonance.  This  was  the  signal  for 
the  beginning  of  the  struggle  for  Gulp's  Hill,  to  which 
Geary's  division  had  returned  in  the  night.  The  contest 
was  still  in  progress  while  Pickett  stood  with  Lee  and 
Longstreet  on  the  summit  of  the  ridge.  The  Federal  artil 
lery  on  Power  Hill  and  McAllister  Hill  swept  the  plateau 
on  which  Johnson  was  stationed  and  where  he  met  the  ad 
vancing  infantry.  He  fought  alone  until  eleven  o'clock, 
when  his  battle  was  over  and  he  fell  back  to  Rock  Creek. 

About  eight  o'clock  Pickett,  in  company  with  Lee  and 
Longstreet,  rode  slowly  up  and  down  the  long  line  of 
prostrate  infantry,  viewing  them  closely  and  critically. 
The  men  had  been  forbidden  to  cheer,  but  they  volun 
tarily  arose  and  stood  silently  with  uncovered  heads  and 
hats  held  aloft,  a  motionless  dark  line  against  the  white 
light  of  the  morning  with  the  gloom  of  the  hills  in  the 
background.  How  many  of  those  erect  forms,  standing  so 
rigidly  in  soldierly  strength  and  pride,  would,  when  the 
sun  should  go  down  behind  the  purple  hills,  be  lying  on 


GETTYSBURG— THIRD  DAY. 

the  plain  beyond,  nevermore  to  thrill  with  the  ardor  of 
earthly  battles! 

When  this  solemn,  silent  review  was  over  detachments 
were  thrown  forward  to  support  the  artillery,  consisting  of 
one  hundred  and  twenty  cannon,  stretched  a  mile  along  the 
crests  of  Oak  Ridge  and  Seminary  Ridge.  For  five  hours 
the  July  sun  poured  its  scorching  rays  almost  vertically 
down  upon  the  supporting  detachments  lying  in  the  tall 
grass  in  the  rear  of  the  artillery-line,  waiting  in  anxious 
suspense  for  some  sound  or  movement  to  break  the  awful 
silence  of  the  vast  battle-field.  The  Federals  on  Ceme 
tery  Hill  marveled  at  the  unexpected  calm.  Why  did 
not  the  long-looked-for  attack  begin? 

Anderson  held  the  wood  west  of  the  wheat-field,  a  little 
to  the  north  of  Devil's  Den.  On  the  Emmitsburg  road  were 
six  batteries  of  the  First  Corps,  forming,  with  the  rest  of  the 
artillery  of  this  corps  stationed  near  it,  a  slightly  concave 
line  of  seventy-five  pieces  along  the  ridge  which  Hum 
phreys  had  ineffectually  tried  to  hold  the  day  before.  At 
the  right  of  the  orchard  a  cross-fire  was  effected  by  Henry's 
batteries.  Alexander's  were  posted  on  the  summit  of  a 
slope  to  the  north,  and  on  his  left,  a  little  to  the  rear,  was 
the  Washington  Artillery,  guarded  by  the  battalions  of 
Cabell  and  Dearing.  Lee  intended  to  batter  the  point  of 
attack  with  Alexander's  guns,  which  for  that  purpose 
were  placed  ahead  of  the  infantry.  The  troops  which 
were  to  make  the  attack  were  screened  from  view  by  the 
ridge,  Pickett's  three  brigades  being  supported  by  one  of 
Hill's  light  batteries.  The  assault  was  to  be  supported  by 
Hill's  artillery  on  Seminary  Hill,  and  a  part  of  Ewell's 
artillery  was  to  fire  on  Cemetery  Hill. 

Signal-flags  fluttered  their  portentous  messages  up  and 
down  the  line  —  death-tokens  alike  to  that  living  wall 
over  which  they  waved  and  to  the  defenders  of  Cemetery 


298  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.       » 

Hill.  The  musketry  and  artillery  fire,  which  opened  at 
eleven  o'clock,  continued  about  three-quarters  of  an  hour 
and  then  ceased. 

Colonel  J.  J.  Phillips,  who  had  been  with  the  division 
in  every  battle,  relates  the  following  to  show  how  well  the 
soldiers  understood  the  work  which  had  been  marked  out 
for  them,  and  how  far  beyond  their  strength  it  was: 

"A  gallant  son  of  old  Isle  of  Wight  County,  before 
the  charge  was  made,  and  while  the  artillery  thundered 
over  the  plain,  turned  to  me  and  said,  'We  are  ordered  to 
charge  those  heights?'  'Yes,'  said  I.  'Then/  said  he, 
'this  will  be  a  sad  day  for  Virginia.'  After  the  battle  an 
other  brave  soldier,  whose  fame  has  compassed  the  world, 
said,  'This  is  a  sad  day  for  us.'  He  who  said  it  before 
the  battle  was  J.  Frank  Crocker,  adjutant  of  the  Ninth 
Virginia  Infantry;  and  he  who  said  it  after  the  battle  was 
General  Robert  E.  Lee." 

This  reminiscence  is  recalled  to  show  that  Pickett's 
men  marched  into  the  very  jaws  of  death  with  the  full 
knowledge  that  they  were  offering  up  their  lives  on  the 
altar  of  duty. 

After  the  war,  General  Pickett  said  that  he  did  not 
believe  there  was  a  man  in  his  dear  old  division  who  did 
not  know,  when  he  heard  the  order,  that  in  obeying  it  he 
was  marching  to  death,  yet  every  man  of  them  marched 
forward  unfalteringly. 

It  was  one  o'clock.  The  solemn  silence  which  had 
reigned  over  the  field  was  suddenly  shivered  by  a  cannon- 
shot.  A  minute  passed.  The  Washington  Artillery  again 
sent  its  ominous  message  thundering  through  the  valley 
and  echoing  and  re-echoing  from  the  mountain-sides. 

While  the  smoke  from  the  gun  still  lingered  over  the 
plain,  as  if  held  down  by  the  weight  of  its  heavy  meaning, 
and  the  echo  was  yet  rolling  along  the  distant  defiles  and 


GETTYSBURG— THIRD  DAY.  299 

gorges,  the  whole  line  was  ablaze,  and  the  thunder  and 
crash  of  more  than  a  hundred  guns  shook  the  hills  from 
crest  to  base.  From  another  hundred  guns  along  the 
front  of  Cemetery  Ridge  flashed  forth  an  instant  reply, 
and  the  greatest  artillery  duel  of  the  western  continent 
had  begun. 

The  two  ridges  were  about  fourteen  hundred  yards 
apart,  and  were  like  great  blazing  volcanoes.  A  mighty 
roar  as  of  all  the  thunderbolts  of  the  universe  filled  the 
plain.  No  command  could  be  heard  through  the  shriek 
ing  shot  and  shell,  for  no  sound  of  wind,  water,  volcano, 
thunder  and  cataract  ever  equaled  this  terrific  uproar. 
The  valley  was  filled  with  clouds  of  dust  and  suffocating 
smoke.  A  rolling  sea  of  white  and  bluish  and  gray  mist 
tossed  its  billows  to  and  fro  between  the  heights  and  blot 
ted  out  the  rays  of  the  sun.  The  fierce  flames  from  the 
guns  flashed  through,  cutting  the  dark  mists  like  lightning 
sabers  in  a  Titanic  battle  of  the  clouds.  Fiery  fuses  shot 
across  the  field,  leaving  death  and  mutilation  in  their  mur 
derous  track.  Flying  missiles  pierced  the  air,  shells  burst 
above  troops,  or  tore  up  the  ground  and  bounded  off  for 
another  deadly  strike.  The  Confederate  line  remained 
steady,  although  it  was  exposed  to  the  fire  of  the  enemy, 
which  passed  over  the  artillery  and  struck  the  infantry 
with  terrible  effect. 

The  ammunition  was  failing;  the  artillery  combat  must 
be  closed.  After  two  hours  the  firing  ceased.  For  half 
an  hour  silence  settled  over  the  blackened  field,  during 
which  time  the  Confederates  were  rapidly  forming  an  at 
tacking  column  just  below  the  brow  of  Seminary  Ridge. 
Long  double  lines  of  infantry  came  pouring  out  of  the 
woods  and  levels,  across  ravines  and  little  valleys,  hurry 
ing  on  to  the  positions  assigned  them  in  the  column. 

Two  separate  lines  of  double  ranks  were  formed,  a 


300  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.    . 

hundred  yards  apart,  and  in  the  center  of  this  column 
were  the  remnants  of  the  three  brigades  of  Pickett's  di 
vision:  Garnett's  brigade,  the  Eighth,  Eighteenth,  Nine 
teenth,  Twenty-eighth  and  Fifty-sixth  Virginia;  Armi- 
stead's  brigade,  the  Ninth,  Fourteenth,  Thirty-eighth, 
Fifty-third  and  Fifty-seventh  Virginia;  Kemper's  bri 
gade,  First,  Third,  Seventh,  Eleventh  and  Twenty-fourth 
Virginia;  numbering  in  all  forty-seven  hundred  and 
sixty-one  privates,  two  hundred  and  forty-four  com 
pany  officers,  thirty-two  field-officers  and  four  general 
officers. 

Pickett's  three  brigades  were  to  attack  in  front  where 
there  was  a  bristling  hedge  of  artillery  and  infantry. 
Heth's  and  Pender's  divisions,  under  Pettigrew  and  Trim 
ble,  their  leaders  having  been  wounded  the  day  before, 
were  to  charge  in  second  and  third  lines  of  battle,  sup 
porting  Pickett's  advance.  As  Heth's  division  passed  on 
it  was  to  be  joined  by  Wilcox's  brigade,  then  about  two 
hundred  yards  in  front.  Anderson  was  behind  the  two 
supporting  divisions  ready  to  take  Trimble's  place  when 
he  should  leave  it. 

Pickett  rode  up  to  Longstreet  for  orders.  The  latter 
seemed  greatly  depressed  and  said: 

"  I  do  not  want  to  have  your  men  sacrificed,  Pickett, 
so  I  have  sent  a  note  to  Alexander,  telling  him  to  watch 
carefully  the  effect  of  our  fire  upon  the  enemy,  and  that 
when  it  begins  to  tell  he  must  take  the  responsibility  and 
notify  3'ou  himself  when  to  make  the  attack.  He  has 
been  directed  to  charge  with  you  at  the  head  of  your  line 
with  a  battery  of  nine  eleven-pound  howitzers,  fresh  horses 
and  full  caissons." 

Just  as  Longstreet  finished  this  statement  a  courier 
rode  up  and  handed  Pickett  a  note  from  Alexander,  which 
read: 


GETTYSBURG— THIRD  DAY.  30 1 

If  you  are  coming,  come  at  once  or  I  can  not  give  you  proper  sup 
port,  but  the  enemy's  fire  has  not  slackened  at  all.  At  least  eighteen 
guns  are  still  firing  from  the  cemetery  itself. 

After  Pickett  had  read  the  note  he  handed  it  to  Long- 
street. 

"General  Longstreet,  shall  I  go  forward?"  he  asked. 

Longstreet  looked  at  him  with  an  expression  which 
seldom  comes  to  any  face.  In  that  solemn  silence  mem 
ories  of  the  long  friendship  may  have  flooded  his  soul. 
Possibly  there  came  to  his  thought  the  time  away  back  in 
history  when  he  had  fallen  on  the  stormy  slope  of  Cha- 
pultepec,  and  the  boy  lieutenant  had  taken  his  place  and 
borne  the  battle-flag  in  triumph  to  the  flame-crowned 
height.  He  held  out  his  hand  and  bowed  his  head  in  as 
sent.  Not  a  word  did  he  speak. 

"Then  I  shall  lead  my  division  forward,  sir,"  said 
Pickett,  and  galloped  off. 

He  had  gone  only  a  few  yards  when  he  came  back  and 
took  a  letter  from  his  pocket.  On  it  he  wrote  in  pencil, 
"  If  Old  Peter's  nod  means  death,  good-by,  and  God  bless 
you,  little  one!"  He  gave  the  letter  to  Longstreet  and 
rode  back.  That  letter  reached  its  destination  in  safety 
and,  with  its  faint  penciled  words,  is  now  one  of  my  most 
treasured  possessions.  It  was  transmitted  with  one  from 
Longstreet: 

GETTYSBURG,  PENN.,  July  sd. 

MY  DEAR  LADY:  General  Pickett  has  just  intrusted  to  me  the  safe 
conveyance  of  the  inclosed  letter.  If  it  should  turn  out  to  be  his  fare 
well  the  penciled  note  on  the  outside  will  show  you  that  I  could  not 
speak  the  words  which  would  send  so  gallant  a  soldier  into  the  jaws  of  a 
useless  death.  As  I  watched  him,  gallant  and  fearless  as  any  knight  of 
old,  riding  to  certain  doom,  I  said  a  prayer  for  his  safety  and  made  a  vow 
to  the  Holy  Father  that  my  friendship  for  him,  poor  as  it  is,  should  be 
your  heritance.  We  shall  meet.  I  am,  dear  lady,  with  great  respect, 

Yours  to  command, 

JAMES  LONGSTREET. 


302  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.      • 

Pickett  gave  orders  to  his  brigade  commanders  and 
rode  along  down  the  line,  his  men  springing  to  their  feet 
with  a  shout  of  delight  as  he  told  them  what  was  expected 
of  them. 

He  was  sitting  on  his  horse  when  Wilcox  rode  up. 
Taking  a  flask  from  his  pocket,  Wilcox  said: 

"Pickett,  take  a  drink  with  me.  In  an  hour  you'll  be 
in  hell  or  glory." 

Pickett  declined  to  drink,  saying: 

"  I  promised  the  little  girl  who  is  waiting  and  praying 
for  me  down  in  Virginia  that  I  would  keep  fresh  upon  my 
lips  until  we  should  meet  again  the  breath  of  the  violets 
she  gave  me  when  we  parted.  Whatever  my  fate,  Wilcox, 
I  shall  try  to  do  my  duty  like  a  man,  and  I  hope  that,  by 
that  little  girl's  prayers,  I  shall  to-day  reach  either  glory 
or  glory." 

At  a  quarter  past  three  on  that  bright  afternoon  the 
order  "  Forward! "  rang  along  the  lines.  The  supreme  mo 
ment  had  come.  As  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  up  and 
down  on  each  side,  the  gaze  of  thousands  of  men  of  both 
armies  was  riveted  on  a  long  line  of  soldiers  moving  with 
all  the  precision  of  a  grand  review.  The  five  thousand 
Virginians  had  begun  their  march  to  death. 

Longstreet  joined  Alexander,  and  they  stood  together 
by  the  batteries  when  that  magnificent  column  went  by, 
the  officers  saluting  as  they  passed. 

Pickett  led,  mounted  on  his  spirited  charger,  gallant  and 
graceful  as  a  knight  of  chivalry  riding  to  a  tournament. 
His  long  dark,  auburn-tinted  hair  floated  backward  in  the 
wind  like  a  soft  veil  as  he  went  on  down  the  slope  of 
death. 

Then  came  Trimble,  riding  lightly  as  he  might  have 
ridden  in  the  golden  glow  through  the  rose-scented  air  of 
some  brilliant  festal  morning. 


GETTYSBURG— THIRD  DAY.  303 

It  was  no  holiday  work  to  which  they  went  as  they 
gracefully  saluted  in  passing  their  commanding  general, 
who  acknowledged  it  in  silent  sadness.  "  Morituri,  saluta- 
mus!" 

So  they  filed  by,  and  went  down  into  the  heavy  sea  of 
smoke  which  hid  them  from  view.  As  it  lifted  they  were 
seen  moving  in  solid  ranks  with  steady  step  and  with  the 
harmonious  rhythm  of  some  grand  symphony.  The  sun 
caught  the  gleam  of  their  guns  and  flashed  it  back  in 
myriads  of  sparkling  rays.  Behind  them  was  a  wall  of 
light  against  which  their  dark  forms  were  outlined  in  dis 
tinct  silhouette. 

Pickett's  Virginians  were  less  than  five  thousand,  but 
every  one  was  a  soldier  in  the  fullest  sense  of  the  word.  As 
they  pressed  onward  in  majestic  order  over  the  plain,  like 
a  moving  wall  of  granite,  the  battle-flag  of  the  South  waved 
over  them,  its  stars  shining  as  if  in  promise  of  victory. 

Garnett  was  on  the  right;  Armistead  center.  Garnett 
had  been  ill  for  many  days,  traveling  in  the  ambulance,  but 
no  persuasion  could  keep  him  from  the  post  of  danger. 
Too  weak  to  mount  his  horse,  he  had  insisted  upon  being 
placed  in  the  saddle  that  he  might  lead  his  brigade  in  the 
charge. 

The  battle-smoke  drifted  away  over  the  hills  and  into 
the  clouds,  where  it  arched  itself  above  the  field  as  if  it 
would  even  yet  spread  a  protecting  mantle  around  those 
devoted  men.  The  long  Federal  array  with  its  double 
line  of  supports  was  revealed  to  view.  As  the  advancing 
column  came  in  sight  Meade's  guns  opened  upon  it,  but  it 
neither  paused  nor  faltered.  Round  shot,  bounding  along, 
tore  through  its  ranks  and  ricochetted  around  it.  Shells 
exploded,  darting  flashes  before  —  behind  —  overhead. 

A  long  line  of  skirmishers,  prostrate  on  the  grass,  sud 
denly  arose  within  fifty  yards,  firing  at  them  as  they  came 


304  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.        « 

within  view,  then  running  on  ahead,  turning  and  firing 
back  as  fast  as  they  could  reload.  The  column  took  no 
heed  of  them,  but  moved  on  at  a  quickstep,  not  return 
ing  their  fire. 

Past  the  batteries  and  half-way  over  the  field,  amidst 
a  terrific  fire  of  shot  and  shell,  Pickett  gave  the  order, 
"Left  oblique! "  Coolly  and  beautifully  the  movement 
was  made,  changing  the  direction  forty-five  degrees  from 
the  front  to  the  left. 

From  Cemetery  Hill  burst  the  fire  of  forty  cannon 
against  the  right  flank.  Pickett's  men  fell  like  grain  be 
fore  the  sweep  of  the  scythe.  There  was  no  pause.  The 
survivors  pressed  on  with  a  force  which  seemed  to  have 
grown  stronger  with  the  concentration  of  all  the  lives 
which  had  been  freed  from  the  fallen  brave. 

Presently  came  the  command,  "Front  forward!"  and 
the  column  resumed  its  direction,  straight  down  upon 
the  center  of  the  enemy's  position  —  on,  on  it  moved 
with  iron  nerve. 

One  hundred  Federal  guns  now  concentrated  their 
whole  fury  of  shot  and  shell  upon  the  advancing  line. 
Every  inch  of  air  seemed  to  be  filled  with  some  death- 
dealing  missile.  The  men  and  officers  were  fast  being 
slaughtered.  Kemper  went  down,  mangled  and  bleeding, 
never  again  to  lead  his  valiant  Virginians  in  battle. 

Up  and  down  the  line  of  his  brigade  rode  Garnett, 
calling  out  in  his  strong  voice: 

"  Faster,  men,  faster!  Close  up  and  step  out,  but  don't 
double-quick! " 

A  long  blue  line  of  infantry  arose  from  behind  the 
stone  fence,  and  as  the  column  advanced  poured  into  it  a 
heavy  fire  of  musketry.  At  once  a  scattering  fire  was 
opened  all  along  the  line,  when  Garnett  galloped  up  afid 
called  out:  "Cease  firing!  Save  your  strength  and  am- 


GETTYSBURG— THIRD  DAY.  30$ 

munition ! "  Under  such  perfect  discipline  were  these  vet 
erans  that  without  slackening  their  pace  they  reloaded  their 
guns,  shouldered  arms,  and  went  on  at  a  quickstep. 

The  artillery  made  an  effort  to  support  the  assault,  but 
the  ammunition  was  almost  exhausted.  The  light  pieces 
which  were  to  have  guarded  the  infantry  had  been  re 
moved  to  some  other  part  of  the  field,  and  none  could  be 
found  to  take  their  place. 

Pettigrew  was  trying  to  reach  the  post  of  death  and 
honor,  but  he  was  far  away,  and  valor  could  not  quite 
annihilate  space.  His  troops  had  suffered  severely  in  the 
battle  of  the  day  before  and  their  commander,  Heth,  had 
been  wounded.  They  were  now  led  by  an  officer  ardent 
and  brave,  but  to  them  unknown. 

The  four  brigades  of  Archer,  Pettigrew,  Davis  and  Brock- 
enbrough  deployed  from  right  to  left  on  a  single  line,  a  line 
of  battle  very  difficult  to  maintain.  The  left  lagged  a  little; 
the  right,  following  the  gallant  Trimble,  made  heroic  efforts 
to  join  Pickett  whose  oblique  movement  had  brought  him 
nearer.  Scales  and  Lane  followed  Pettigrew. 

Dauntlessly  Pickett's  men  pressed  forward,  the  grand 
est  column  of  heroes^  that  ever  made  a  battle-field  glorious. 
They  reached  the  post-and-rail  fence,  upon  the  other  side 
of  which,  and  parallel  to  it,  an  ordinary  dirt  road  ran 
straight  through  the  field  across  which  they  were  advanc 
ing.  The  fence  was  but  a  momentary  obstruction.  It  was 
but  the  work  of  a  few  seconds  to  climb  over  it  and  into 
the  road,  while  a  hundred  blazing  cannon  poured  death- 
dealing  missiles  into  their  devoted  ranks.  Now  and  here 
was  given  to  the -world  the  grandest  exhibition  of  disci 
pline  and  endurance,  of  coolness  and  courage  under  a  with 
ering  fire,  ever  recorded  in  military  history;  a  scene 
which  has  made  the  story  of  Pickett's  charge  the  glory  of 
American  arms.  There  in  the  road,  with  the  deafening 
20 


3 05          •  PICfCETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

explosion  of  unnumbered  shells  filling  the  air,  their  ranks 
plowed  through  and  through  again  and  again  by  the 
fiery  hail  which  the  batteries  from  the  heights  beyond 
were  pouring  into  them,  amid  all  this  terrific  roar  and  the 
not  less  disconcerting  cries  of  the  wounded  and  dying, 
they  heard  the  command  of  their  company  officers: 
"Halt,  men!  Form  line!  Fall  in!  Right  dress!" 

Imagine,  if  you  can,  these  heroes  reforming  and  align 
ing  their  ranks  while  their  comrades  dropped  in  death- 
agony  about  them,  the  shells  bursting  above  their  heads, 
and  an  iron  storm  beating  them  to  the  earth.  Yet  the 
line  was  formed,  and  coolly  they  awaited  the  command, 
"Forward!"  At  last  it  came:  "Forward!  Quick  march!" 
With  perfect  precision,  with  all  the  grace  and  accuracy  of 
the  parade-ground  instead  of  the  bloodiest  of  battle-fields, 
Pickett's  division  took  up  its  death-march,  each  man  with 
"the  red  badge  of  courage"  pinned  over  his  heart.  The 
like  was  never  seen  before,  and  the  change  in  military 
tactics  will  prevent  its  ever  being  seen  again. 

Friend  and  foe  looked  on  in  wondering  awe.  A  thrill 
of  admiration  held  the  waiting  enemy  silent  and  motion 
less  as  they  watched  this  grand  and  unsurpassable  display 
of  Virginia's  valor. 

As  they  advanced  toward  Cemetery  Hill  there  was 
seen  in  the  open  field  to  the  right  a  long,  dark  line  of  men, 
half  a  mile  distant  and  at  right  angles  with  their  line. 
They  were  coming  at  double-quick  upon  that  unprotected 
right  flank,  their  muskets  at  right  shoulder  shift,  their 
banners  fluttering  in  the  breeze,  their  burnished  bayonets 
glistening  in  the  sun.  The  enemy  were  strengthening 
their  position,  hurrying  up  reserves  from  right  to  left  and 
from  opposite  directions  doubling  along  the  Confederate 
front. 

A  heavy  rain  of  shell  and  shrapnel  poured  down  from 


GETTYSBURG— THIRD  DAY.  307 

the  height.  In  the  fiery  storm  the  thin  ranks  became  yet 
thinner.  Not  an  instant's  disorder  prevailed,  but  under 
the  withering  fire  they  marched  steadily  forward. 

"Faster,  men,  faster!  We  are  almost  there!"  cried 
Garnett's  clarion  voice  above  the  roar  of  battle.  Then  he 
went  down  among  the  dead,  with  the  faith  of  a  little  child 
in  his  hero  heart. 

There  was  a  muffled  tread  of  armed  men  from  behind, 
then  a  rush  of  trampling  feet,  and  Armistead's  brigade 
from  the  rear  closed  up  behind  the  front  line.  Their  gal 
lant  leader,  with  his  hat  on  the  point  of  his  sword,  took 
Garnett's  place.  The  division  was  now  four  ranks  deep. 
As  often  as  the  iron  storm  made  gaps  through  it  the  cheer 
would  come  from  private,  corporal,  sergeant,  lieutenant 
and  captain  alike:  "Close  up!  Close  up!"  and  "For 
ward!"  The  lines  shortened,  but  never  wavered,  never 
halted.  Closer  and  closer  they  drew  to  the  foe  till  there 
remained  only  a  bleeding  remnant. 

Now  they  broke  forward  into  a  double-quick,  while 
canister  and  grape  whirred  and  whizzed  through  the  air. 
On,  on,  they  rushed  toward  the  stone  wall  where  the  Fed 
eral  batteries  were  pouring  forth  their  deadly  missiles.  A 
hundred  yards  away  a  flanking  force  came  down  on  a  run, 
halted  suddenly,  and  fired  into  the  line  a  deadly  storm  of 
musketry.  Under  this  cross-fire  they  reeled  and  staggered 
between  falling  comrades  and  the  right  came  pressing 
down  upon  the  center,  making  the  line  at  this  point  twenty 
to  thirty  deep.  A  few,  unable  to  resist  temptation,  with 
out  orders,  faced  the  enemy  on  their  right,  though  the 
latter  were  sixty  to  one.  The  fighting  was  terrific.  Mus 
kets  seemed  to  cross.  Men  fired  to  the  right  and  to  the 
front.  The  fighting  was  hand-to-hand.  The  firing  was 
into  the  enemy's  faces. 

The  Federals  in  front  fell  behind  their  guns  to  let  them 


308  PICKETT  AND  HIS  ML  N, 

belch  their  grape  and  canister  into  the  oncoming  ranks, 
piling  up  the  dead  and  wounded  almost  in  touch  of  them. 
When  within  a  few  feet  of  the  stone  wall  the  artillery  de 
livered  their  last  fire  from  the  guns  shotted  to  the  muzzle. 

The  division  was  now  in  the  shape  of  an  inverted  V 
with  the  point  flattened.  On  it  swept  over  the  ground 
covered  with  the  dead  and  dying. 

Armistead,  sword  in  hand,  sprang  over  the  stone  wall, 
crying: 

"Come  on,  boys,  come  on!  We'll  give  them  the  cold 
steel!  Come  on!  Who  will  follow  me?  Who  will  fol 
low  me?" 

He  reached  the  battery,  his  hand  touched  one  of  Cush- 
ing's  guns.  Then  he  and  Gushing  fell  together,  and  a 
crimson  river  washed  the  base  of  the  copse  of  trees 
which  marked  the  high  tide  of  the  Confederacy  —  a  river 
formed  of  the  noblest  blood  that  ever  flowed  in  Ameri 
can  veins. 

Victory  was  within  their  grasp.  Alas,  where  were  the 
promised  supports?  Worn  and  exhausted  by  the  tension 
of  the  bloody  fighting  of  the  day  before,  in  which  they 
had  suffered  terribly,  their  leaders  dead  or  wounded,  they 
had  crumbled  away  under  the  deadly  hail  of  the  artillery 
fire. 

Back  from  the  flaming  crest  fell  only  a  remnant 
of  the  division  which  had  performed  such  deeds  of 
valor  as  made  the  whole  world  wonder.  The  flags  which 
floated  a  moment  ago  over  Cemetery  Hill,  lay  on  the 
ground  among  the  prostrate  forms  of  the  men  who  had 
so  bravely  borne  them  to  the  very  verge  of  victory. 

Of  the  five  thousand  who  had  followed  where  the  flash 
of  Pickett's  sword  lit  the  way  to  glorious  victory,  or  not 
less  glorious  defeat,  three  thousand  five  hundred  had  gone 
down  to  the  soldier's  triumphant  death,  to  live  forever  in 


GETTYSBURG— THIRD  DAY.  309 

our  hearts  and  on  the  fame-crowned  pages  of  their  coun 
try's  history. 

Virginia  is  rich  in  the  names  of  great  warriors,  states 
men  and  leaders  of  men,  but  the  charge  of  this  Virginia 
division  furnishes  the  most  conspicuous  proof  in  the  his 
tory  of  the  State  that  the  rank  and  file  of  its  citizen 
soldiery  are  the  peers  of  any  troops  on  earth,  and  the 
memory  of  this  band  of  martyrs  will  be  cherished  in  the 
hearts  of  her  people  forever  and  forever.  With  such  fol 
lowers  Virginia  will  never  be  without  great  leaders.  It 
was  fitting  that  in  the  descendants  of  the  great  sons  of 
Virginia,  who  had  led  in  all  that  had  contributed  to  Ameri 
can  grandeur,  this  consummation  of  chivalrous  manhood 
should  be  attained. 

The  battle-flag  of  the  Confederacy  had  waved  for  a 
moment  in  triumph  to  droop  forever  around  its  staff.  To 
the  South  was  left  the  bitter  sense  of  loss,  the  heartbreak 
of  defeat. 

She  had  left,  too,  a  memory  which  is  enshrined  forever 
in  the  proudest  and  grandest  niche  of  her  temple  of  fame, 
a  glorified  page  of  history  to  thrill  the  heart  of  the  world 
while  time  lingers. 

It  is  the  page  on  which  is  inscribed  the  grandest  charge 
known  in  all  the  long  and  proud  record  of  martial  history; 
a  charge  which  will  live  in  song  and  story  while  the  heart 
of  man  can  throb  responsive  to  immortal  deeds;  a  charge 
which  can  never  be  obliterated  from  the  roll  of  fame  be 
cause,  in  the  changed  conditions  of  warfare,  it  can  never 
be  repeated  or  equaled;  that  transcendent  charge  which 
awakened  echoes  to  roll  through  the  halls  of  time  and  to 
incite  to  actions  of  supernal  glory  heroes  of  coming  ages 
—  Pickett's  charge  at  Gettysburg. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

WHERE    WERE    THE    GUNS? 

Where  were  the  guns  when  Pickett's  men  started  on 
their  grim  march  to  death?  is  a  query  which  has  been 
often  made,  and  to  which  Colonel  E.  P.  Alexander  is, 
perhaps,  best  fitted  to  give  answer.  On  this  point  he  says: 

Before  daylight  on  the  morning  of  the  third  I  received  orders  to  post 
the  artillery  for  an  assault  upon  the  enemy's  position,  and  later  I  learned 
that  it  was  led  by  Pickett's  division  and  directed  on  Cemetery  Hill.  Some 
of  the  batteries  had  gone  back  for  ammunition  and  forage,  but  they  were 
all  brought  up  immediately  and  by  daylight  all  then  on  the  field  were 
posted.  The  morning  was  consumed  in  waiting  for  Pickett's  division, 
and  possibly  other  movements  of  infantry. 

While  forming  for  the  attack  I  borrowed  from  General  Pendleton, 
General  Lee's  chief  of  artillery,  seven  twelve-pound  howitzers  belong 
ing  to  the  other  corps  under  Major  Richardson,  which  I  put  in  reserve  in 
a  selected  spot,  intending  them  to  accompany  Pickett's  infantry  in  the 
charge,  to  have  the  advantage  of  their  horses  and  men  and  full  chests  of 
ammunition  for  the  critical  moment  in  case  the  batteries  engaged  in  the 
preliminary  cannonade  should  be  so  cut  up  and  exhausted  as  to  be  slow 
in  getting  up. 

For  more  than  half  an  hour  Hill's  artillery  had  a  fight  for  a  turn  in 
between  the  lines;  sixty-three  guns.  Not  one  of  the  seventy-five  guns 
which  I  then  had  in  line  was  allowed  to  fire  a  shot,  as  we  had  at  best  a 
short  supply  of  ammunition  for  the  work  laid  out.  One  hundred  and 
thirty  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  rounds  are  usually  carried  with  each  piece, 
about  enough  for  one  hour  and  a  half  of  rapid  firing.  Am  very  sure  we 
did  not  carry  more  than  one  hundred  rounds  to  a  gun,  and  think  not  over 
sixty  rounds. 

About  twelve  Longstreet  told  me  that  when  Pickett  was  ready  he 
would  himself  give  the  signal  for  all  our  guns  to  open.  He  desired  me 
to  select  a  suitable  place  for  reservation,  and  take  with  me  one  of  Pick 
ett's  staff  and  exercise  my  judgment  in  selecting  the  moment  for  Pickett's 

310 


WHERE   WERE   THE   GUNS?  3!  I 

advance.  I  selected  the  salient  angle  of  the  wood  in  which  Pickett's 
line  was  now  formed  just  on  the  left  flank  of  my  seventy-five  guns.  Re 
ceived  note  from  Longstreet: 

"HEADQUARTERS,  July  3,  1863. 

"COLONEL:  If  the  artillery  fire  does  not  have  the  effect  to  drive  off 
the  enemy  or  gradually  demoralize  him  so  as  to  make  our  efforts  pretty 
certain,  I  would  prefer  that  you  should  not  advise  General  Pickett  to 
make  the  charge.  I  shall  rely  a  great  deal  on  your  good  judgment  to  de 
termine  the  matter,  and  shall  expect  you  to  let  General  Pickett  know 
when  the  moment  offers.  Respectfully, 

"J.  LONGSTREET,  Lieutenant-General. 
"To  COLONEL  E.  P.  ALEXANDER, 

"Artillery." 

"  GENERAL:  I  will  only  be  able  to  judge  of  the  effect  of  our  fire  on 
the  enemy  by  his  return  fire,  for  his  infantry  is  too  little  exposed  to  view, 
and  the  smoke  will  obscure  the  whole  field.  If,  as  I  infer  from  your 
note,  there  is  any  alternative  to  this  attack,  it  should  be  carefully  con 
sidered  before  opening  our  fire,  for  it  will  take  all  the  artillery  ammuni 
tion  we  have  left  to  test  this  one  thoroughly,  and  if  the  result  is  unfavor 
able  we  will  have  none  left  for  another  effort.  And  if  this  is  entirely 
successful,  it  can  only  be  so  at  a  very  bloody  cost. ' ' 

To  this  received  following  reply,  which  is  still  in  my  possession: 

"COLONEL:  The  intention  is  to  advance  the  infantry  if  the  artillery 
has  the  desired  effect  of  driving  the  enemy  off,  or  has  other  effect  such 
as  to  warrant  us  in  making  the  attack.  When  that  moment  arrives  ad 
vise  General  Pickett,  but  of  course  advance  such  artillery  as  you  can  use 
in  aiding  the  attack." 

I  felt  the  responsibility  very  deeply,  for  the  day  was  rapidly  advanc 
ing  (about  twelve  or  a  little  later),  and  whatever  was  to  be  done  was  to 
be  done  soon.  Meanwhile  I  had  been  anxiously  discussing  the  attack 
with  General  A.  B.  Wright,  who  said  that  the  difficulty  was  not  so  much 
in  reaching  Cemetery  Hill  or  taking  it  —  his  brigade  had  carried  it  the 
afternoon  before  —  but  that  the  trouble  was  to  hold  it,  for  the  whole  Fed 
eral  army  was  mustered  in  a  sort  of  horseshoe  shape  and  could  rapidly 
reinforce  the  point  to  any  extent,  while  our  long  enveloping  line  could 
not  give  prompt  enough  support.  This  somewhat  reassured  me,  as  I 
had  heard  it  said  that  morning  that  General  Lee  had  ordered  "every 
brigade  in  the  army  to  charge  Cemetery  Hill,"  and  it  was  at  least  cer- 


312  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.       ^ 

tain  that  the  question  of  supports  had  had  his  careful  attention.  Before 
answering  I  rode  back  to  converse  with  General  Pickett,  whose  line  was 
now  formed  or  forming  in  the  wood  and,  without  telling  him  of  the  ques 
tion  I  had  to  decide,  I  found  out  that  he  was  entirely  sanguine  of  suc 
cess  in  the  charge  and  was  only  congratulating  himself  on  the  op 
portunity.  I  was  convinced  that  to  make  any  half-way  effort  would 
ensure  a  failure  of  the  campaign,  and  that  if  our  artillery  fire  was  once 
opened  after  all  the  time  consumed  in  preparation  for  the  attack  the  only 
hope  of  success  was  to  follow  it  up  promptly  with  one  extreme  effort, 
concentrating  every  energy  we  possessed  into  it,  and  my  mind  was  fully 
made  up  that  if  the  artillery  opened  Pickett  must  charge.  Wrote  to 
Longstreet: 

"GENERAL:  When  our  artillery  fire  is  doing  its  best  I  shall  advise 
General  Pickett  to  advance. ' ' 

It  was  my  intention,  as  he  had  a  long  distance  to  traverse,  that  he 
should  start  not  later  than  fifteen  minutes  after  our  fire  opened.  I  sent 
for  Richardson  with  his  seven  twelve-pounders  to  come  up  through  the 
woods  and  be  ready  to  move  ahead  of  Pickett 's  division  in  the  advance. 
To  my  great  disappointment  I  learned  just  as  we  opened  fire,  and  too 
late  to  replace  him,  that  General  Pendleton  had  sent  four  of  his  guns 
without  my  knowledge  to  some  other  part  of  the  field,  and  the  other 
three  had  also  moved  off  and  could  not  be  found.  Probably,  however, 
the  presence  of  guns  at  the  head  of  this  column  would  only  have  resulted 
in  their  loss,  but  it  would  have  been  a  brilliant  opportunity  for  them,  and 
I  always  felt  like  apologizing  for  their  absence. 

There  have  been  many  efforts  to  shift  responsibility 
and  to  assign  various  causes  to  this  repulse  of  the  Army 
of  Northern  Virginia,  but  I  can  not  find  it  in  my  heart, 
nor  do  I  think  it  reasonable,  to  believe  that  any  man  or 
officer  of  that  grand  army,  led  by  the  peerless  Lee,  did 
aught  but  what  the  most  profound  sense  of  duty  and  pa 
triotism,  controlled  by  the  emergencies  which  surrounded 
him,  suggested  that  he  should  do. 

General  Imboden,  describing  an  interview  with  Lee 
after  the  battle,  states  that  in  a  voice  tremulous  with 
emotion,  Lee  said: 

"General,  I   never  saw  troops  behave  more  magnifi- 


WHERE  WERE  THE  GUNS?  313 

cently  than  Pickett's  division  of  Virginians  did  to-day  in 
their  grand  charge  upon  the  enemy.  And  if  they  had 
been  supported,  as  they  were  to  have  been  —  but  for  some 
reason,  not  yet  fully  explained  to  me,  they  were  not  —  we 
would  have  held  the  position  they  so  gloriously  won  at 
such  a  fearful  loss  of  noble  lives,  and  the  day  would  have 
been  ours." 

After  a  moment  he  added  in  a  tone  almost  of  agony: 

"  Too  bad  !     Too  bad  !!     Too  bad  !/!  " 

A  report  of  the  closing  scene  of  the  great  battle  was 
made  by  him  who  was  best  able  to  give  the  true  story  of 
Pickett's  charge  at  Gettysburg.  It  was  prepared  from 
notes  penciled  on  the  backs  of  old  letters,  on  scraps  of 
wrapping-paper,  on  any  fragment  large  enough  to  hold  a 
sentence.  They  were  jotted  down  amid  the  dead  faces 
bordering  the  line  of  retreat,  the  groans  of  the  wounded 
and  dying,  all  the  fearful  sights  and  sounds  of  that  death- 
march.  They  are  the  memories  of  a  man  only  a  few  days 
away  from  the  most  appalling  crisis  of  his  life. 

This  report  was  suppressed  at  the  request  of  the  com- 
mander-in-chief.  Weighed  down  by  the  responsibility  of 
a  great  army,  Lee  shrank  from  adding  to  the  difficulties 
of  the  position  by  any  dissension  which  might  be  excited 
by  a  bare  statement  of  facts.  In  a  kind  and  appreciative 
letter,  which  has  become  a  part  of  the  published  records 
of  the  war,  admitting  the  truth  of  the  report,  he  asked 
that  it  might  be  withdrawn,  adding,  after  setting  forth  the 
reasons  for  his  request,  the  significant  words,  "We  have 
the  enemy  to  fight." 

It  was  in  a  spirit  of  true  patriotism  that  the  leader  of 
the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  made  this  request.  Those 
who  knew  him  will  remember  that  of  all  his  many  noble 
utterances  none  was  more  impressive  than  this:  "Duty 
is  the  grandest  word  in  human  language."  His  duty  was 


3  M  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

Ip 

to  the  cause  for  which  he  fought,  and  in  the  performance 
of  that  duty  he  asked  that  this  thing  might  be  done.  His 
wishes  were  respected  then,  and  through  all  the  years  that 
have  passed  since  that  time  they  have  not  been  forgotten. 
The  most  alluring  temptations  have  not  brought  that  re 
port  from  the  oblivion  to  which  it  was  consigned  in  the 
far-away  past. 

The  hand  which  penned  those  blood-stained  notes, 
reaching  from  the  grave,  is  as  powerful  as  when  it  un 
sheathed  the  sword  upon  the  field  of  battle,  and  it  draws 
across  them  still  the  mark  of  silence.  They  are  all  our 
own — they  who  went  down  in  the  battle-fire,  they  who 
left  the  field  with  heavy  hearts  and  reluctant  steps,  long 
ing  to  stay  behind  with  their  comrades  who  had  passed 
beyond  the  conflict,  our  tried  and  true,  our  best-beloved. 
May  the  soft  veil  of  mercy  and  love  enfold  them  forever! 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

DETAILED    FOR    SPECIAL    DUTY. 

The  temperature  of  the  summer  of  1863  seemed  to 
keep  pace  with  the  high  tide  of  war.  The  heat  was  so 
excessive  that  the  schools  were  closed  early. 

The  first  week  in  June  I  was  graduated  from  my  alma 
mater.  I  stopped  in  Richmond  for  a  few  days  en  route 
to  my  home  within  the  Federal  lines.  The  day  after  I 
arrived  I  received  a  letter  dated  at  Culpeper  Court-house, 
June  13,  full  of  faith  in  a  successful  campaign,  a  short 
separation,  and  a  "speedy  termination  of  the  difficulties." 
June  15  and  18  there  came  other  letters,  one  written  on  the 
march  to  Winchester,  the  other  after  reaching  that  place, 
breathing  the  same  spirit  of  confidence  and  hope.  Until 
the  fatal  third  of  July  such  letters  came  to  me,  expressing 
hope  and  trust  —  always  hope  and  trust. 

Then  drifted  to  us  rumors,  faint  and  indefinite  at  first, 
of  a  great  battle  fought  at  Gettysburg.  Gradually  they 
grew  stronger  and  brighter,  and  the  mind  of  the  South 
became  imbued  with  the  impression  that  a  grand  victory 
had  been  won.  Thus  the  news  first  came  to  us,  trans 
muted  in  the  balmy  air  of  the  South  from  the  appalling 
disaster  it  really  was  into  the  glorious  triumph  which  our 
longing  hearts  hoped  it  might  be.  A  few  days  of  this 
glowing  dream,  and  then  —  the  heartbreaking  truth. 

I  could  hear  nothing  of  the  General  except  the  vague 
rumor  that  he  had  been  killed  in  the  final  charge.  Our 
mail  facilities  were  very  meager,  and  our  letters  were 
smuggled  through  the  lines  by  any  trustworthy  person 

315 


316  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.  . 

who,  having  been  given  the  privilege  of  going  back  and 
forth,  happened  to  be  at  hand  at  the  time.  Many  a  mile 
I  had  ridden  on  mule-back,  hoping  to  hear  directly  from 
the  General,  before  I  was  rewarded. 

"  Reck,"  our  old  mule,  had  been  a  benefaction  not 
only  to  us  but  to  the  whole  county.  Every  other  mule 
and  every  horse  had  been  confiscated  and  taken  by  the 
Federals.  But  for  his  wonderful  memory,  "  Reck"  would 
have  changed  owners,  too,  like  all  his  half-brothers  and 
-sisters,  for  he  was  a  fine-looking  mule.  When  a  colt 
his  leg  had  been  broken  in  crossing  a  bridge,  and  all 
the  powers  of  coaxing  and  whipping  and  spurring  after 
that  accident  could  not  make  him  step  on  a  plank, 
much  less  cross  a  bridge,  unless  you  pretended  to 
mend  the  bridge,  and  first  walked  across  it  yourself  in 
safety,  and  then  came  back  and  led  him  over.  My  last 
ride  on  "Reck"  brought  me  as  compensation  a  package 
of  five  or  six  letters.  The  first  was  the  letter  which  the 
General,  as  he  went  into  battle,  had  handed  to  General 
Longstreet,  with  its  sad  superscription  —  "If  Old  Peter's 

nod  means  death ."  The  next  was  written  on  the 

second  day  after  the  great  catastrophe. 

Later  there  came  to  me  the  following: 

WlLLIAMSPORT,    July  8,    1863. 

I  am  crossing  the  river  to-day,  guarding  some  four  thousand  prison 
ers  back  to  Winchester,  where  I  shall  take  command  and  try  to  recruit 
my  spirit-crushed,  wearied,  cut-up  people.  It  is  just  two  months  this 
morning  since  I  parted  from  you,  and  yet  the  disappointments  and 
sorrows  that  have  been  crowded  into  the  interval  make  the  time  seem 
years  instead.  My  grand  old  division,  which  was  so  full  of  faith  and 
courage  then,  is  now  almost  extinguished.  But  one  field-officer  in  the 
whole  command  escaped  in  that  terrible  third  of  July  slaughter,  and 
alas !  alas  !  for  the  men  who  fearlessly  followed  their  lead  on  to  certain 
death. 


DE  TA I  LED  FOR  SPE  CIAL  DUTY.  317 

We  were  ordered  to  take  a  height.  We  took  it,  but  under  the  most 
withering  fire  that  I,  even  in  my  dreams,  could  ever  have  conceived  of, 
and  I  have  seen  many  battles.  Alas  !  alas  !  no  support  came,  and  my 
poor  fellows  who  had  gotten  in  were  overpowered.  Your  uncle,  Colo 
nel  Phillips,  behaved  most  gallantly  —  was  wounded,  but  not  seriously. 
Your  cousins,  Captain  Cralle  and  C.  C.  Phillips,  are  among  the  missing. 
But  for  you,  I  should  greatly  have  preferred  to  answer  reveille  on  the 
fourth  of  July  with  the  poor  fellows  over  there,  and  how  I  escaped  it  is 
a  miracle;  how  any  of  us  survived  is  marvelous,  unless  it  was  by  prayer. 

My  heart  is  very,  very  sad,  and  it  seems  almost  sacrilegious  to  think 
of  happiness  at  such  a  time,  but  let  my  need  of  your  sweet  womanly 
sympathy  and  comfort  in  these  sad  hours  plead  extenuation,  and  be  pre 
pared,  I  beseech  you,  at  a  moment's  notice  to  obey  the  summons  that 
will  make  you  my  wife. 

Two  weeks  later  I  received  this  letter: 

CULPEPER  C.  H.,  July  23,  1863. 

The  short  but  terrible  campaign  is  over,  and  we  are  again  on  this 
side  of  the  Blue  Ridge.  Would  that  we  had  never  crossed  the  Potomac, 
or  that  the  splendid  army  which  we  had  on  our  arrival  in  Pennsylvania 
had  not  been  fought  in  detail.  If  the  charge  made  by  my  gallant  Vir 
ginians  on  the  fatal  third  of  July  had  been  supported,  or  even  if  my  other 
two  brigades,  Jenkins  and  Corse,  had  been  with  me,  we  would  now,  I 
believe,  have  been  in  Washington,  and  the  war  practically  over.  God 
in  his  wisdom  has  willed  otherwise,  and  I  fear  there  will  be  many  more 
blood-drenched  fields  and  broken  hearts  before  the  end  does  come. 

I  wrote  to  you  on  Wednesday  by  Colonel  Harrison,  who  went  to  Rich 
mond  via  Luray.  I  came  on  with  my  division,  occupying  both  gaps  of  Front 
Royal,  Manassas  and  Chester,  where  we  had  a  brilliant  skirmish  with 
the  enemy.  For  three  days  and  nights  I  have  been  almost  constantly  in 
the  saddle.  Last  night,  the  22d,  I  had  a  tent  pitched,  and  sat  down  to  a 
meal  at  a  camp-table,  the  first  time  since  leaving  Bunker  Hill.  We  had 
been  going  ' '  al  fresco. ' '  When  we  did  sleep  it  was  with  the  heavens 
for  a  canopy  and  a  fence-rail  for  a  pillow.  We  shall  be  here  three  or 
four  days,  perhaps  longer. 

I  thank  the  great  and  good  God  that  he  has  spared  me  to  come  back 
and  claim  your  promise,  and  I  pray  your  womanly  assistance  in  helping 
me  to  its  immediate  fulfilment.  This  is  no  time  for  ceremonies. 
The  future  is  all  uncertain,  and  it  is  impossible  for  me  to  call  a  moment 
my  own.  Again,  with  all  the  graves  I  have  left  behind  me,  and  with  all 


318  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

the  wretchedness  and  misery  this  fated  campaign  has  made,  we  would 
not  wish  anything  but  a  very  silent,  very  quiet  wedding,  planning  only 
the  sacrament  and  blessing  of  the  church,  and,  after  that,  back  to  my 
division  and  to  the  blessing  of  those  few  of  them  who,  by  God's  miracle, 
were  left. 

I  gave  Colonel  Harrison  a  gold  luck-piece  which  was  a  parting  gift  to 
me  from  the  officers  of  the  Pacific,  and  told  him  to  have  it  made  into  a 
wedding-ring  at  Tyler's.  I  asked  him  to  have  engraved  within  "G. E. P. 

and  S.  C.   Married ,  "  and  to  leave  sufficient  space  for  date  and 

motto,  which  you  would  direct. 

Perhaps  no  girl  just  out  of  school  ever  had  a  more  diffi 
cult  problem  sprung  upon  her  than  that  which  confronted 
me.  Had  we  been  living  under  the  old  regime  nothing 
would  have  been  easier  than  to  prepare  for  a  grand  wed 
ding  in  the  stately  old  Southern  style.  Times  had 
changed  very  greatly  in  the  past  few  years,  and  how  was 
a  trousseau  to  be  made  away  up  in  the  frozen  North, 
where  all  the  pretty  things  seemed  to  have  gone,  and 
spirited  through  the  lines  to  make  a  wedding  brilliant 
enough  to  satisfy  the  girlish  idea  of  propriety?  And  yet, 
how  could  a  marriage  take  place  without  the  accompani 
ments  of  white  satin,  misty  laces,  dainty  slippers,  and 
gloves,  and  all  the  other  paraphernalia  traditionally  con 
nected  with  that  interesting  event  in  a  young  woman's 
life?  However,  if  "Love  laughs  at  locksmiths,"  he  has 
more  serious  methods  of  treating  other  obstacles  in  his 
way,  and  all  the  difficulties  of  millinery  were  finally  over 
come.  But  still  there  were  lions  in  the  path. 

Longstreet  lay  under  a  tree  at  Culpeper  Court-house, 
seeking  repose  from  the  burdens  which  would  necessarily 
weigh  upon  the  mind  of  a  man  in  whose  care  was  the  des 
tiny  of  the  leading  corps  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Vir 
ginia.  As  he  leisurely  reclined  Pickett  came  up  and  sat 
on  the  grass  beside  him. 

"General,"  he  said,  "I  am  going  to  be  married,  and 


DE TAILED  FOR  SPECIAL  DUTY.  319 

want  a  furlough.  This  little  girl " — handing  my  picture  to 
General  Longstreet  —  "says  she  is  ready  and  willing  to 
marry  me  at  any  minute,  in  spite  of  the  risks  of  war,  and 
will  go  with  me  to  the  furthest  end  of  the  earth,  if  need  be." 

The  younger  man  had  consulted  the  older  about  many 
things  since  the  day  when  he  had  rushed  forward  into  the 
place  made  vacant  by  the  wounding  of  his  superior  offi 
cer  and  carried  the  flag  to  victory,  but  he  had  never  be 
fore  confided  to  him  an  aspiration  of  so  soulful  and  sacred 
a  character.  Longstreet  considered  the  matter  gravely 
for  a  time. 

"  I  can't  give  it  to  you,  Pickett.  They  are  not  grant 
ing  any  furloughs  now.  I  might  detail  you  for  special 
duty,  and  of  course  you  could  stop  off  by  the  way  and  be 
married,"  said  General  Longstreet,  with  a  twinkle  in  his 
eye. 

It  was  not  a  time  for  insisting  upon  minor  details,  even 
in  regard  to  very  momentous  subjects,  and  the  General 
eagerly  consented  to  be  detailed  for  "  special  duty."  Then 
there  arose  the  problem  of  how  to  get  the  two  necessary 
parties  to  the  transaction  within  the  essential  proximity 
to  each  other.  If  the  General  attempted  to  cross  the  lines 
he  might  be  arrested,  and  then  not  only  would  the  wed 
ding  be  indefinitely  postponed,  but  one  of  the  divisions 
of  Longstreet's  corps  would  lose  its  leader. 

The  General  had  purposed  coming  to  meet  me  at  the 
Blackwater  River,  which  was  the  dividing  line  between 
the  Federal  and  Confederate  forces,  but  fortunately, 
through  military  exigencies,  his  plans  were  changed.  As 
cautious  as  we  had  tried  to  be,  the  Federals,  by  some  un 
known  power,  caught  a  glimmering  of  what  was  expected, 
and  some  poor  fellow  en  route  to  the  Blackwater,  as  inno 
cent  of  being  the  General  as  of  committing  matrimony, 
was  ambushed  and  captured  by  a  squad  of  cavalry  sent 


320  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.      « 

out  from  Suffolk  for  the  purpose,  and,  though  he  pleaded 
innocent  to  the  charges  against  him,  put  into  Suffolk  jail, 
before  he  was  recognized  and  released. 

Thus,  in  the  interests  of  the  Confederacy,  as  well  as  of 
the  marriage,  it  became  necessary  that  I  should  be  the  one 
to  cross  the  lines. 

My  uncle  was  a  physician  and  because  of  his  profes 
sion  was  permitted  to  go  where  he  wished,  and  I  had 
often  accompanied  him  on  his  professional  visits. 

On  the  I4th  of  September,  my  father  and  I  set  out  to 
cross  the  lines  under  the  protecting  wing  of  this  good 
uncle.  Just  before  we  were  ferried  over  the  Blackwater 
River,  we  came  upon  the  Federal  cavalry,  who  looked  at  us 
somewhat  critically  but,  recognizing  Dr.  Phillips,  evidently 
assumed  that  he  was  bent  upon  a  mission  of  mercy  —  as, 
indeed,  was  he  not? — and  did  not  molest  us. 

We  reached  the  railway-station  in  safety.  "  Waverley," 
it  was  called,  and  the  romantic  associations  clustering 
around  the  name  filled  my  youthful  fancy  with  pleasure. 
There  we  were  met  by  my  uncle,  Colonel  J.  J.  Phillips, 
and  his  wife,  and  by  the  General's  brother  and  his  aunt 
and  uncle,  Miss  Olivia  and  Mr.  Andrew  Johnston.  Colo 
nel  Phillips  was  a  warm  personal  friend  of  the  General 
and  commanded  a  regiment  in  his  division.  He  had 
been  wounded  at  Gettysburg  and  was  just  convalescing. 

They  accompanied  us  to  Petersburg  where,  to  my  great 
delight,  the  General  awaited  me  at  the  station.  When  we 
reached  the  hotel  he  and  my  father  went  out  for  the  pur 
pose  of  procuring  the  license.  They  soon  returned  with 
the  sorrowful  announcement  that,  owing  to  some  legal 
technicality,  the  license  could  not  be  issued  without  a 
special  decree  of  court,  I  not  being  a  resident  of  that 
jurisdiction.  Court  could  not  be  convened  until  the  next 
day,  and  the  General  must  report  at  headquarters  that 


DE  TAILED  FOR  SPE CIAL  DU7"Y.  $21 

evening.  He  went  away  sorrowful,  and  I  fell  into  a  flood 
of  tears,  thereby  greatly  shocking  the  prim,  rigid  maiden 
lady  —  a  friend  of  my  mother  —  who  had  accompanied  me 
as  monitor  and  bridesmaid,  and  who  was  intensely  horri 
fied  by  the  expression  of  my  impatience  and  the  general 
impropriety  of  my  conduct  in  fretting  over  the  delay. 

As  I  sat  in  my  room,  drowned  in  grief,  I  heard  the 
newsboys  crying  the  evening  papers: 

"All  about  the  marriage  of  General  Pickett,  the  hero 
of  Gettysburg,  to  the  beautiful  Miss  Corbell,of  Virginia!" 

You  know,  a  girl  is  always  "beautiful"  on  her  wed 
ding-day,  whatever  she  may  have  been  the  day  before,  or 
will  be  the  day  after. 

However,  it  was  not  my  wedding-day,  but  only  was 
to  have  been,  and  I  had  serious  doubts  as  to  whether 
my  tear- washed  eyes  and  disappointed,  grief -stained 
face  would  be  likely  to  answer  anybody's  preconceived 
convictions  of  the  highest  type  of  beauty.  Again  was 
my  mother's  "prunes  and  prisms"  friend  unnecessarily 
shocked,  as  I  thought,  because  I  had  simply  opened  the 
window  to  buy  a  paper  containing  the  account  of  my  own 
marriage. 

The  next  day  the  General  returned  to  Petersburg,  and 
the  court  graciously  convened.  The  license  was  granted, 
and  we  were  married  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Platt  in  dear  old  St. 
Paul's  Church  before  congregated  thousands,  for  soldier 
and  civilian,  rich  and  poor,  high  and  low,  were  all  made 
welcome  by  my  hero.  We  left  for  Richmond  on  the 
afternoon  train  amidst  the  salute  of  guns,  hearty  cheers, 
and  chimes  and  bands  and  bugles. 

It  may  not  be  supposed  that,  in  those  dark  days  of  the 
Confederacy,  we  were  likely  to  find  a  sumptuous  banquet 
awaiting  us  in  the  capital,  but  we  did.  The  river  and  the 
woods  had  given  of  their  varied  treasures  to  do  honor  to 

21 


322  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.     • 

my  General.  It  was  in  the  sora  season,  and  so  plentifully 
was  that  game  supplied  that  the  banquet  was  afterward 
known  as  "the  wedding-sora-supper."  Had  it  required 
the  expenditure  of  ammunition  to  provide  this  delicacy, 
it  would  probably  have  been  lacking,  for  the  South  at  that 
time  could  not  afford  to  shoot  at  birds  when  there  were 
so  many  more  important  targets  to  be  found.  They  were 
killed  at  night  with  paddles,  and  many  hundreds  were 
sent  as  bridal  presents  by  the  plantation  servants  from 
Turkey  Island.  There  were  thousands  of  delicious  beaten 
biscuit  and  gallons  of  terrapin  stew  made,  and  turkeys 
boned  and  made  into  salads,  too,  by  the  faithful  old  planta 
tion  servants  under  the  supervision  of  Mrs.  Simms,  the 
loyal  old  overseer's  wife.  Not  having  sugar,  we  had 
few  sweets,  but  Mrs.  Robert  E.  Lee  had  made  for  us  with 
her  own  fair  hands  a  beautiful  fruit-cake,  the  General's 
aunt-in-law,  Mrs.  Maria  Dudley,  the  mother  of  the  pres 
ent  Bishop,  sent  us  as  a  bridal  gift  a  black-cake  that 
had  been  made  and  packed  away  for  her  own  golden  wed 
ding,  and  some  of  our  other  friends  had  remembered  us 
in  similar  ways.  So  we  even  had  sweets  at  our  wedding- 
supper. 

It  was  a  brilliant  reception.  The  Army  of  Northern 
Virginia,  then  stationed  around  Richmond,  came  in  uni 
form.  Of  the  thousands  present,  only  President  Davis 
and  his  Cabinet,  a  few  ministers,  and  a  few  very  old  men 
were  in  civilian  clothes.  The  General  and  I  greeted  and 
welcomed  them  all  as  they  came;  then  they  passed  on  to 
the  banquet  and  the  dance  —  dancing  as  only  Richmond 
in  the  Confederacy  could  dance.  With  a  step  that  never 
faltered  she  waltzed  airily  over  the  crater  of  a  volcano. 
She  threaded  graceful  mazes  on  the  brink  of  the  precipice. 
The  rumbling  of  the  coming  earthquake  struck  no  minor 
tones  into  her  merry  music.  If  people  could  not  dance 


DE  TAILED  FOR  SPE CIA L  DUTY.  323 

in  the  crises  of  life  the  tragedy  of  existence  might  be 
even  darker  than  it  is. 

So  they  danced  through  the  beautiful,  bright  Septem 
ber  night,  and  when  the  last  guests  were  going  my  Gen 
eral  and  I  walked  out  upon  the  veranda  with  them  and, 
as  they  closed  the  outer  gates,  watched  the  stars  of  night 
fade  away  before  the  coming  dawn  and  the  morning  star 
rise  and  shine  gloriously  upon  a  new,  happy  day. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

TWICE     TEARS     TO     SMILES. 

After  the  battle  of  Gettysburg  Longstreet  placed  be 
fore  the  Secretary  of  War  a  proposition  to  take  his  corps 
to  Tennessee  to  reinforce  Bragg.  It  was  the  intention 
that  Pickett  should  accompany  this  expedition,  a  plan 
which  drew  from  the  corps  commander  the  following 
words  of  commiseration  and  encouragement: 

I  am  sorry  for  you,  old  fellow,  but  you  must  cheer  up  and  "keep  a 
stiff  upper  lip.  "  I  will  bring  you  back  to  dear  old  Virginia,  and  deliver 
you  safely  to  your  lady-love  with  additional  laurels  and  covered  with 
noble  deeds. 


Most  sincerely  yours, 

J.  LONGSTREET. 

Longstreet's  proposed  plan  was  clouded  by  the  changed 
orders  which  assigned  Pickett  to  the  Department  of  North 
Carolina,  with  headquarters  at  Petersburg,  Virginia.  His 
command  comprised  all  that  portion  of  Virginia  and  North 
Carolina  lying  between  the  James  River  on  the  north  and 
Cape  Fear  River  on  the  south,  extending  on  the  east  to 
the  Federal  lines  around  Suffolk  and  to  the  Blackwater 
and  Chowan,  and  included  all  the  troops  in  that  region. 

Pickett  having  been  relieved  of  the  far-away  duty  to 
which  he  had  previously  been  assigned,  the  leader  of  the 
expedition  thus  extended  his  congratulations  and  regrets 
commingled: 

324 


TWICE    TEARS  TO   SMILES.  $2$ 

I  am  glad  of  the  change  of  orders  for  yourself,  old  fellow,  and  con 
gratulate  you,  but  sorry  enough  for  myself  and  the  Cause  that  I  am  not 
to  have  you  with  me.  You  know  I  don't  like  this  "one-boot  business," 
anyhow,  and  I  always  feel  certain  and  sure  of  Pickett  and  Pickett's  men. 

Give  my  most  respectful  regards  to  your  lady-love  and  tell  her  I 
should  have  brought  you  back  to  her  covered  with  additional  glory  and 
noble  deeds.  I  am  sorry  not  to  be  at  your  marriage,  but  I  shall  remem 
ber  the  day  and  say  a  prayer,  and  ask  you  to  kiss  the  sweet  bride's  hand 
for  her  husband's  oldest  friend  and  her  well-wisher. 

Most  sincerely  yours, 

JAMES  LONGSTREET. 

By  order  of  the  War  Department,  Pickett's  division, 
"all  that  were  left  of  them"  after  that  fatal  charge  at 
Gettysburg  two  months  before,  had  just  been  divided  up 
for  the  purpose  of  recruiting  its  strength.  Although 
separated,  it  still  retained  its  organization,  and  was  again 
consolidated  in  May,  1864,  on  the  North  Anna  River, 
when  it  rejoined  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia. 

The  Department  of  North  Carolina  was  extended  and 
important,  and  as  early  as  the  2d  of  November  Pickett  re 
ported  in  person  to  our  Secretary  of  War  how  ineffec 
tually  it  was  protected  on  the  tide-water  and  approaches 
toward  Petersburg.  Soon  after  this  interview  Pickett 
learned  of  the  intended  Federal  expedition  against  Peters 
burg  by  way  of  the  James.  Conveying  this  information 
to  Richmond,  he  asked  for  sufficient  troops  to  meet  such 
an  attack,  earnestly  setting  forth  the  immediate  necessity 
of  fortifying  and  obstructing  the  lower  James. 

Later  on,  Pickett  went  to  Richmond  and,  with  Elzey, 
commander  of  the  defenses  at  Richmond,  had  an  inter 
view  with  the  Secretary  of  War  and  the  Secretary  of  the 
Navy,  representing  the  unprotected  condition  of  his  lines, 
of  which  the  Federals  would  certainly  take  advantage. 

At  the  close  of  this  interview  Pickett  was  given  the 
solemn  promise  that  he  should  receive  whatever  rein- 


326  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

forcements  of  troops  could  possibly  be  spared,  that  a 
gunboat  should  be  stationed  on  the  James  River  at  Fort 
Powhatan  on  the  south  bank  of  the  river,  and  that  below 
that  point  the  river  should  at  once  be  further  obstructed 
with  torpedoes.  These  promises,  for  causes  unknown, 
were  not  fulfilled,  and  subsequent  events  showed  their 
importance. 

When  we  returned  to  Petersburg  after  our  bridal  visit 
with  the  General's  sister  and  aunts,  we  found  that  loving, 
thoughtful  hands  had  been  unsparing  in  their  tasteful  ar 
rangement  of  our  temporary  abode.  Affection  had  found 
a  way,  in  spite  of  the  check  of  war,  to  anticipate  every 
luxurious  requirement.  Choicest  selections  were  made 
by  the  General's  friends  from  among  their  own  treasures 
to  adorn  our  rooms. 

It  was  here  that  the  first  tears  of  my  married  life  were 
shed.  It  happened  some  months  after  we  had  entered 
our  Petersburg  home,  upon  a  gloomy,  rainy  morning 
when  the  General  was  busy  at  his  office  and  there  was 
nothing  to  prevent  my  falling  into  the  temptations  which 
wait  upon  idle  hands. 

Did  you  ever  see  or  hear  of  a  girl  graduate  who  had 
never  read  a  novel?  Incredible  as  it  may  seem,  such  was 
I  at  this  period  of  my  life.  From  infancy  I  had  been 
under  the  especial  guidance  of  my  good  grandmother,  a 
rigid  churchwoman,  who  had  unshakable  convictions  as 
to  the  influences  which  should  surround  a  young  girl. 
She  did  not  approve  of  novels.  Consequently  I  had  never 
been  subjected  to  the  charm  of  their  seductive  pages. 

Having  grasped  a  situation  so  remote  from  the  proba 
ble,  just  imagine  such  an  innocent,  crude  mind  suddenly 
brought  into  contact  with  the  tense  tragedy  of  "  East 
Lynne" — a  tragedy  which  probably  has  never  been  ex 
ceeded  in  literary  history.  So  it  happened  to  me. 


TWICE  TEARS  TO  SMILES. 

Some  one,  more  hardened  to  fictive  woes  than  I,  had 
been  reading  it  and  left  it  where  it  fell  into  my  hands. 
When  I  began,  I  was  not  thinking  much  of  the  story.  I 
was  too  greatly  appalled  by  the  enormity  of  my  crime  in 
reading  a  novel  of  any  kind  to  have  a  clear  idea  of  what 
it  was  about.  I  was  remorsefully  thinking,  "What  would 
my  good  grandmother  think?  What  would  she  say?" 

As  I  read  on  I  began  to  lose  sight  and  memory  of  my 
grandmother.  Her  influence  ceased  to  move  me.  The 
story  exerted  a  miserable  fascination  for  which  there  is 
no  name.  All  the  woe  and  heartbreak  of  it  fastened 
itself  upon  me  and  became  my  own.  The  tragedy  of  a  shat 
tered  life  filled  me  with  a  grief  unspeakable.  I  read  until 
my  eyes  were  blinded  with  tears.  Then  I  let  the  book  fall 
upon  the  floor  and  gave  way  to  a  passion  of  sobs. 

I  heard  the  General  coming  and  hid  the  book,  but  I 
could  not  conceal  the  traces  of  my  woe.  He  was  filled 
with  anxiety  when  he  saw  my  tear-stained  face. 

"What  is  the  matter,  little  one?"  he  asked  with  tender 
solicitude. 

"  Nothing,"  I  sobbed,  brokenly. 

"Are  you  ill?" 

"  No-o-o,  sir,"  with  renewed  floods  of  tears. 

"  Have  you  hurt  yourself?" 

He  looked  anxiously  around  in  search  of  some  weapon 
with  which  I  might  have  accidentally  inflicted  upon  my 
self  an  injury. 

No,  I  had  not  hurt  myself. 

"  Has  any  one  wounded  your  feelings,  or  offended  you 
in  any  way?  " 

No,  everybody  had  been  kind  and  good  to  me. 

"  Poor  little  thing.  She  is  tired  and  lonely.  Will  you 
come  and  ride  with  me?" 

No,  I  would  not  ride. 


328  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.    • 

It  was  the  first  time  I  had  ever  declined  to  ride 
with  the  General  or,  in  fact,  had  refused  to  assent  to  any 
thing  which  he  had  suggested,  and  he  was  deeply  hurt. 
In  vain  he  implored  an  explanation.  I  was  unable  to 
divulge  my  grief,  and  he  was  forced  to  leave  me  in  tears, 
and  go  forth  with  his  great,  honest  soul  clouded  with 
perplexity. 

When  he  was  gone  I  returned  to  "East  Lynne"  and 
irrepressible  misery.  When  the  General  came  back  some 
time  later  I  was  yet  more  deeply  drowned  in  seas  of  woe, 
and  his  anxiety  was  correspondingly  increased. 

"Are  you  homesick?"  he  asked  tenderly.  "You  shall 
go  home  to-morrow  and  stay  as  long  as  you  like." 

"  I  am  not  homesick." 

"Do  you  want  to  see  your  father  and  mother?  They 
shall  be  sent  for  at  once." 

I  did  not  want  to  see  my  father  and  mother. 

"Do  you  want  your  little  sisters?  They  shall  come 
and  stay  with  you  as  long  as  you  want  them." 

I  did  not  want  my  little  sisters. 

Again  was  he  forced  to  leave  me,  the  dark  mystery 
still  unsolved.  Again  did  I  resort  to  "East  Lynne"  and 
uninterrupted  woe. 

When  evening  came  the  situation  was  yet  worse.  I 
was  hopelessly  submerged  in  unillumined,  measureless 
tides  of  despair.  I  threw  myself  upon  a  couch  and  oceans 
of  wretchedness  rolled  over  me  and  I  wept  floods  of  burn 
ing  tears. 

The  General  was  lost  in  mystification.  A  sudden  fear 
possessed  him. 

The  "rift  within  the  lute"  had  developed.  So  great 
was  the  darkness  which  the  imaginary  life  of  the  fictitious 
heroine  cast  over  me  that  I  did  not  at  first  realize  the 
cloud  on  our  domestic  horizon.  It  suddenly  gloomed 


TWICE  TEARS  TO  SMILES.  329 

over  me,  bringing  contrition  and  remorse.  Yet  how  could 
I  explain  and  risk  the  contempt  which  I  felt  my  deception 
warranted.  I  watched  the  General  as  he  paced  up  and 
down  the  floor,  vainly  endeavoring  to  analyze  the  problem 
with  which  he  had  been  so  unexpectedly  confronted. 
Sympathy,  doubt,  grief,  amazement  seemed  to  commingle 
in  his  mind.  After  a  time  he  came  and  stood  beside  me, 
looking  at  me  with  such  an  expression  of  sadness  that, 
under  the  influence  of  that  gaze,  there  was  nothing  left  me 
but  to  acknowledge  the  cause  of  my  hitherto  unuttered 
woe.  Blushing  and  confused,  I  sobbed  out  my  mournful 
story  and  took  the  poor  paper-back  book,  the  cause  of  our 
first  and  only  misunderstanding,  from  its  hiding-place 
beneath  the  cushion  and  sheepishly  handed  it  to  him,  and 
all  the  clouds  drifted  away  in  smiles. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

NEWBERN. 

Newbern,  North  Carolina,  was  held  by  the  Federals,  and 
was  reported  to  General  Pickett  as  being  weak  in  its  de 
fenses  and  protected  by  a  small  force.  It  was  a  place  of 
storage,  and  its  alleged  stock  of  provisions  and  clothing 
was  a  most  tempting  bait  for  our  nearly  naked,  barefooted, 
famished  soldiers. 

"Newbern"  is  the  modern  form  of  New  Berne,  so 
named  in  the  latter  part  of  the  seventeenth  century  by  its 
founder,  Christopher,  Baron  de  Graffenried,  in  memory  of 
his  former  home,  Berne,  Switzerland. 

In  its  early  infancy  Newbern  had  been  baptized  in 
blood,  and  its  sinister  beginning  seemed  to  have  ushered 
it  into  a  career  of  turbulence,  occasioned  more  by  its 
location  than  by  any  consequence  attaching  to  it  from 
size  or  other  characteristic  adapted  to  attract  attention. 
Its  position  as  an  important  seaport  of  the  Confederacy 
early  rendered  it  an  object  of  desire  to  the  enemy. 

It  is  near  the  confluence  of  the  Neuse  and  the  Trent, 
and  the  only  two  roads  by  which  it  may  be  reached  by 
land  lie  through  an  almost  impassable  swamp.  There  was 
once  a  railroad  from  Newbern  to  Kinston  and  Goldsboro, 
passing  through  the  marshy  ground,  but  it  had  been  de 
stroyed. 

On  March  14,  1862,  Burnside  advanced  upon  Newbern, 
destroying  a  fortification  of  little  value  in  the  vicinity, 
and  capturing  and  partially  burning  the  town,  being  sup 
ported  by  gunboats  which  cleared  the  way  by  a  heavy 

330 


NEWBERN.  331 

rain  of  shells.  Burnside  captured  forty-six  guns,  three 
light  batteries,  and  a  large  amount  of  stores.  In  the  be 
ginning  of  1864,  Newbern  was  held  by  the  Federal  gen 
eral  Foster,  with  a  small  force. 

Pickett  laid  a  plan  for  an  attack  upon  Newbern  which 
was  approved  of  and  applauded  by  both  Lee  and  Beaure- 
gard,  and  was  guarded  with  strictest  secrecy. 

On  the  ist  day  of  February,  1864,  Hoke's  and  Cling- 
man's  North  Carolina  brigades  and  a  part  of  Corse's  Vir 
ginia  brigade,  with  a  battalion  of  Reid's  artillery  (the 
Thirty-eighth  Virginia),  commanded  by  Pickett,  set  out 
from  Kinston  on  the  Neuse  River  in  North  Carolina. 
They  were  to  threaten  Newbern  on  the  south  side  of  the 
Neuse  River.  On  the  north  side  of  the  Neuse  there  was 
to  be  a  demonstration  by  Bearing's  cavalry  and  three 
regiments  of  infantry.  Matt.  Ransom's  North  Carolina 
brigade,  Barton's  and  Terry's  Virginia  brigades,  under 
command  of  Barton,  marched  along  the  Trent  River 
to  destroy  the  railroad  to  Morehead  City,  and  were  di 
rected  to  attack  on  the  south  side  as  soon  as  the  Federals 
should  be  diverted  by  the  threatened  assault  of  Pickett 
and  Bearing.  Simultaneously  with  these  movements, 
Colonel  R.  Taylor  Wood,  with  a  naval  force  in  small 
boats,  was  to  make  a  night  excursion  down  the  Neuse 
River  to  Newbern  and  attack  the  gunboats. 

The  troops  left  Kinston  just  after  nightfall  in  order 
that  they  might  make  their  appearance  at  the  specified 
points  at  daylight.  They  were  buoyant  and  hopeful. 
The  start  was  excellent.  Everything  seemed  propitious, 
victory  apparently  smiling  on  the  efforts  of  all. 

Bearing's  feint  upon  the  north  was  successful  in  attract 
ing  the  attention  of  the  Federals  from  the  real  objective 
point.  Colonel  Wood  effected  a  complete  surprise,  and  cap 
tured  the  gunboat  Underwriter  under  the  guns  of  the  forts. 


332  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.  . 

At  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  Pickett's  infantry  met 
the  Federal  troops  at  Bachelor's  Creek  seven  miles  dis 
tant  from  Newbern.  The  advance  picket  and  vedette 
were  silently  captured,  and  the  reserve  sought  protection 
in  a  small  fort  just  beyond  the  bridge.  This  bridge,  be 
ing  made  of  loose  planks,  was  taken  away  by  the  guard  in 
the  retreat,  and  the  stream,  too  deep  to  ford,  proved 
an  impassable  barrier  to  the  assailants.  Thus  the  Con 
federate  advance  was  checked,  and  the  gallant  little  Fed 
eral  force  held  its  position  till  it  was  reinforced.  During 
this  engagement  sixty-seven  men  were  killed;  among 
them,  Colonel  Shaw,  who  was  supporting  the  advance. 

Early  in  the  morning  Hoke's  brigade  crossed  the 
stream,  flanking  the  Federals  and  opening  the  way  to 
Newbern.  Corse  had  already  crossed,  captured  a  large 
force  of  Federals,  which  had  been  encamped  on  the  rail 
road,  and  forced  back  the  garrison  into  Newbern. 

The  Confederates  had  succeeded  in  surprising  New 
bern,  and  had  taken  all  the  outworks  and  defenses  in 
front.  Almost  victorious,  they  waited  with  impatience 
for  the  attack  on  ihe  other  side,  which  was  to  have  been 
made  by  Barton's  column,  and  which  would  have  enabled 
them  to  enter  Newbern  without  opposition.  Not  a  sound 
was  heard.  The  suspense  was  unbearable.  Fear  and 
anxiety  began  to  crowd  out  hope. 

The  marsh  prevented  communication  between  the  dif 
ferent  divisions  of  the  troops.  The  failure  was  incom 
prehensible  to  all.  Hour  after  hour  of  restless  impatience 
went  by  and  yet  no  gun  was  fired,  no  attack  was  made  by 
Barton's  column.  Through  a  whole  day  of  torture  Pickett 
waited  in  deathlike  suspense  with  the  prize  of  Newbern 
almost  within  his  grasp.  Barton,  it  seems,  regarded  the 
Federal  defenses  as  too  formidable  to  attack  with  any 
reasonable  hopes  of  success. 


NEWBERN.  333 

Pickett  remained  the  whole  of  the  next  day  in  front  of 
Newbern,  hoping  against  hope,  and  praying  still  that  Bar 
ton  would  even  yet  make  an  attack.  The  special  couriers 
he  had  sent  out  at  intervals  to  try  to  reach  Barton  not  re 
turning,  the  next  morning,  heart-sick  and  disappointed, 
he  deemed  it  expedient  to  retire  toward  Kinston. 

Though  the  Newbern  expedition  failed  in  its  primal 
object,  it  resulted  in  important  advantages.  Besides  the 
capture  of  five  hundred  prisoners  and  over  two  hundred 
horses,  the  Confederates  found  comfort  and  temporary 
relief  in  the  valuable  capture  of  subsistence  stores,  cloth 
ing,  shoes  and  camp  equipage. 

General  Pickett  gives  an  account  of  Newbern  in  the 
following  field-notes: 

HEADQUARTERS  DEPARTMENT  o"F  NORTH  CAROLINA, 

February  15,  1864. 

GENERAL:  I  have  the  honor  to  report  that,  in  accordance  with  in 
structions  received  from  General  Lee,  under  date  of  January  20,  1864, 
the  expedition  left  Kinston,  as  follows: 

On  the  morning  of  the  3oth  ultimo  General  Barton,  with  his  own 
brigade  and  that  of  Kemper,  three  regiments  of  Ransom's,  eight  rifled 
pieces,  six  Napoleons,  and  six  hundred  cavalry,  started  to  cross  the  Trent 
and  take  the  works  in  front  of  Newbern,  in  reverse,  and  prevent  the 
enemy  from  being  reinforced  by  land  or  water.  Later  in  the  day  I  sent 
off  the  Fifteenth  and  Seventeenth  Virginia,  with  three  pieces  of  artillery, 
Whitford's  regiment,  and  three  hundred  cavalry,  to  report  to  Colonel 
Bearing  on  the  north  side  of  the  Neuse  River.  He  was  to  have  attacked, 
if  practicable,  Fort  Anderson,  Harrington's.  Commander  Wood,  of  the 
navy,  with  his  boat  party,  left  on  the  3ist  ultimo,  and  I,  with  Hoke's  bri 
gade,  three  regiments  of  Corse's  and  two  of  Clingman's  brigades,  five 
rifled  pieces,  five  Napoleons,  and  thirty  cavalry,  started  on  the  evening 
of  the  30th  ultimo. 

The  attack  was  to  have  been  made  simultaneously  by  the  different 
parties  on  Monday  morning.  Barton,  with  his  cavalry,  was  to  cut  the 
railroad  and  cross  Brice's  Creek,  taking  the  forts  on  the  bank  of  the 
Neuse,  and  pass  across  the  railroad  bridge.  If  he  succeeded  only  in  the 
first  step  he  would  effectually  cut  off  reinforcements.  Bearing,  by  tak- 


334  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

ing  Fort  Anderson,  would  have  a  direct  fire  upon  the  town,  and  an 
enfilading  fire  upon  the  works  in  front  of  it.  Commander  Wood,  having 
received  the  gunboats,  would  co-operate,  and  I,  with  the  party  under  my 
command,  would  create  a  diversion,  draw  off  the  enemy  and,  if  the 
chance  offered,  enter  the  town. 

Accordingly,  on  Monday  morning,  at  one  o'clock,  I  pushed  forward 
General  Hoke.  He  was  met  at  Bachelor's  Creek,  nine  miles  from  New- 
bern,  by  a  strong  force  of  the  enemy,  who  were  evidently  surprised.  The 
night  being  dark,  and  the  enemy  being  posted  in  a  strong  position  after 
having  destroyed  the  bridge,  it  was  impracticable  for  General  Hoke  to 
force  a  passage  till  after  daylight.  This  he  did  in  most  gallant  style. 

At  this  time  the  enemy,  reinforcing  heavily  by  railroad,  and  trying 
to  rake  our  lines  with  the  guns  on  the  steam  ironclads,  attempted  to 
turn  my  right  flank.  I  threw  Corse  forward  to  drive  them  in,  which  he 
did  handsomely,  and  Clingman,  with  his  two  regiments,  followed  General 
Hoke.  After  effecting  the  crossing,  the  enemy  were  hotly  pursued,  but 
as  we  had  no  cavalry,  and  our  men  were  much  worn  by  the  long  night's 
march,  and  had  not  been  allowed  fires,  we  were  unable  to  press  our  ad 
vantage  as  we  would  have  done  had  there  been  fresh  troops  on  hand.  In 
fact,  it  was  three  o'clock  before  General  Corse  could  come  to  the  cross 
ing  of  the  Neuse  road  with  the  railroad,  some  two  and  a  half  miles  from 
the  town.  There  was  unfortunately  no  co-operation,  the  other  parties 
having  failed  to  attack,  and  I  found  we  were  making  the  fight  single- 
handed. 

Commander  Wood  went  down  the  Neuse  on  the  night  of  the  3ist, 
with  his  party,  but  did  not  find  the  gunboats.  Bearing  found  Fort 
Anderson  too  strong  to  attack.  Barton's  cavalry  failed  to  cut  the  rail 
road  and  telegraph  at  Morehead  City.  This  was  afterwards  done  by 
General  Martin,  but  no  communication  of  the  fact  was  received  from 
General  Barton  till  some  time  after  we  moved  back.  General  Barton 
sent  a  message  to  me  by  courier,  on  Tuesday  morning,  saying  he  found 
the  work  laid  out  for  him  impracticable.  This  not  being  satisfactory 
to  me,  I  sent  Captain  Bright,  my  aide-de-camp,  across  the  Trent  to  com 
municate  with  him  in  person.  This  was  accomplished  by  Captain  Bright 
at  a  great  risk.  General  Barton  stated  to  him  that  he  had  been  entirely 
misinformed  as  to  the  strength  of  the  place.  He  pronounced  the  works 
too  strong  to  take,  saying  that  he  had  made  no  advance  and  did  not 
intend  to,  and  that  he  had  twice  sent  out  his  cavalry  to  cut  the  railroad, 
and  they  had  returned  without  accomplishing  it. 

Captain  Bright  then,  by  my  direction,  ordered  him  to  join  me.  Gen 
eral  Barton  said  he  would  try  to  cross  at  Pollocksville,  but  would  be  un- 


NEWBERN.  335 

able  to  do  it  that  night  (the  2d).  He  expressed  some  doubt  as  to  whether 
he  could  cross  at  that  point.  Should  he  fail  there  he  would  be  com 
pelled  to  go  much  higher  up  the  river.  Thus  the  earliest  possible  mo 
ment  at  which  he  could  have  joined  me  would  have  been  on  the  evening 
of  the  3d  instant.  This  would  have  delayed  my  attack  until  the  4th. 
General  Barton  afterwards  informed  me  that  he  could,  positively,  have 
done  nothing  on  his  side  of  the  river. 

General  Barton  had  orders  from  me,  in  case  he  found  it  impracti 
cable  to  perform  his  part  of  the  work,  which  was  the  most  important,  to 
cross  at  once  to  me,  and  let  me  try  a  ' '  coup  de  main. ' '  I  could,  how 
ever,  hear  nothing  from  him  for  some  time,  and  when  I  did,  it  was 
through  the  unsatisfactory  note  I  have  mentioned. 

On  the  night  of  the  ist  instant,  Commander  Wood  gallantly  at 
tacked  and  took  the  six-gun  steamer  Underwriter,  but  was  compelled  to 
burn  her,  thus  losing  her  invaluable  service.  The  enemy  having  had 
ample  time  to  reinforce,  both  by  water  and  land,  and  the  whole  plan  by 
which  the  place  was  to  be  reduced  having  failed,  I  deemed  it  prudent, 
after  consulting  with  my  officers,  to  withdraw,  which  we  did  at  our 
leisure. 

The  result  may  be  summed  up  as  follows,  viz. :  Killed  and  wounded, 
about  one  hundred;  captured,  thirteen  officers,  two  hundred  and  eighty- 
four  privates  (fourteen  colored),  two  rifled  pieces  and  caissons,  three 
hundred  stand  of  small  arms,  four  ambulances,  three  wagons,  two  hun 
dred  animals,  a  quantity  of  clothing  and  garrison  equipage,  and  two 
flags.  Commander  Wood,  Confederate  States  navy,  captured  and  de 
stroyed  United  States  gunboat  Underwriter.  Our  loss  about  forty- 
five  killed  and  wounded.  A  correct  list  will  be  forwarded. 

I  found  the  ground  in  my  front  swept  by  half  a  dozen  forts,  one  of 
them  mounting  seven  rifled  guns,  with  which  they  fired  at  pleasure  over 
and  into  our  line  of  battle.  Had  I  had  a  whole  force  in  hand,  I  have 
little  doubt  that  we  could  have  gone  in  easily,  taking  the  place  by  sur 
prise.  I  would  not  advise  a  movement  against  Newbern  or  Washington 
again  until  the  ironclads  are  done. 

In  the  meantime,  having  received  despatches  that  the  enemy  were  in 
force  at  Suffolk  and  advancing  on  Blackwater,  I  deemed  it  prudent  to 
send  General  Clingman  back  to  Petersburg. 

I  have  as  yet  received  no  written  report  from  General  Barton,  but 
from  the  light  which  I  have,  am  of  the  opinion  that  he  should  have  ad 
vanced  at  the  same  time  that  I  did.  Had  he  done  so,  the  enemy  being 
fully  employed  by  me,  he  would  probably  have  carried  out  this  part  of  the 
plan.  I  am  informed  that  there  was  no  infantry  on  that  side  of  the  river. 


336  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

The  present  operations  I  was  afraid  of  from  the  first,  as  there  were 
too  many  contingencies.      I  should  have  wished  more  concentration,  but 
still  hope  the  effect  produced  by  the  expedition  may  prove  beneficial. 
I  am,  General,  very  respectfully, 

G.   E.   PICKETT, 

GENERAL  S.  COOPER,  Major-General  Commanding. 

Major-General  Commanding, 
Assistant  Inspector-General, 

Richmond,  Va. 

Barton's  explanation  of  his  inaction  at  Newbern  is,  that 
although  he  had  made  every  safe  and  proper  exertion  to 
gain  information  regarding  the  position  of  the  enemy,  and 
had  been  assured  by  those  whom  he  was  forced  to  be 
lieve  trustworthy  that  there  were  no  fortifications  at 
Newbern  other  than  those  abandoned  by  the  Confederates 
at  the  capture  of  the  place,  yet  when  he  got  there  he  found 
an  invincible  array  of  forts,  breastworks  and  field-works, 
bristling  with  so  deadly  an  array  of  guns  that  further  prog 
ress  was  impossible. 


CHAPTER  XL. 
PICKETT'S  VOLUNTARY  DEFENSE  OF  PETERSBURG. 

The  expedition  to  capture  Plymouth,  the  capital  of 
Washington  County,  North  Carolina,  which  General  Pick- 
ett  had  planned  to  take  effect  some  time  before,  was  just 
then  about  to  set  out. 

This  town,  situated  a  few  miles  south  of  Roanoke  River 
where  it  enters  Albemarle  Sound,  had  been  captured  in 
1862  by  an  expedition  led  by  Burnside,  and  was  now  oc 
cupied  by  twenty-four  hundred  men  under  command  of 
Wessells. 

Pickett  now  maintained  that  too  much  time  had  been 
wasted,  and  that  the  delay  of  this  project,  which  delay  had 
had  its  origin  with  the  authorities  at  Richmond,  rendered 
the  execution  of  the  plan  at  this  late  hour  both  rash  and  in 
expedient.  He  held  that,  inasmuch  as  danger  threatened 
Petersburg,  the  troops  then  in  North  Carolina  for  the  pur 
pose  of  moving  on  to  Plymouth,  instead  of  being  kept 
there,  should  be  ordered  back  at  once  to  the  defense  of 
the  endangered  city. 

Pickett  again  pointed  out  the  weakness  of  Petersburg, 
how  ineffectual  were  the  defenses  on  the  tide-water  and 
approach  to  Richmond,  and  pleaded  that  immediate  action 
should  be  taken  in  that  direction.  He  asked  that  the  ex 
pedition  be  abandoned,  and  that  the  three  brigades  of  his 
division  (Barton's,  Corse's  and  Terry's)  which  had  been 
left  in  North  Carolina  after  the  affair  of  Newbern  should 
be  sent  to  him  without  delay.  Hunton's  brigade  of  his  di 
vision  was  still  retained  around  the  defenses  of  Richmond. 
22  337 


338  PICKETT  AND  II IS  MEN. 

The  authorities  at  Richmond  giving  no  heed  to  Pick- 
ett's  warning,  and  taking  no  cognizance  of  his  appeals  in 
behalf  of  Petersburg,  he,  in  his  desperation,  sent  a  special 
courier  with  a  confidential  letter  to  General  Lee,  who  was 
then  on  the  Rapidan  with  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia, 
telling  him  of  his  unheeded  repeated  warnings  and  re 
quests,  and  of  his  fruitless  interview  with  the  Secretary  of 
War. 

General  Pickett  pointed  out  to  General  Lee  the  ex 
treme  danger  to  the  Confederacy  at  that  point  and  the 
perils  of  further  procrastination.  General  Lee,  by  return 
courier,  wrote  as  follows: 

Consult  at  once  with  General  Beauregard.  I  myself,  General  Pick 
ett,  am  in  perfect  sympathy  with  your  apprehensions Will 

despatch  officer  to  Richmond  to-night,   urging  immediate  action  upon 

your  request 

R.  E.  LEE,  General. 

Beauregard  was  then  in  command  around  Charleston, 
South  Carolina.  Without  loss  of  time  he  and  Pickett  met 
by  appointment  at  Weldon,  North  Carolina.  Pickett  laid 
before  Beauregard  the  letter  of  General  Lee,  and  explained 
the  actual  critical  condition  of  affairs,  the  absolute  cer 
tainty  of  the  immediate  attack  of  the  Federals  on  this 
the  most  vulnerable  approach  to  the  capital  of  the  Con 
federacy,  and  the  inadequacy  of  any  force  which  he  had 
at  his  command  to  repel  such  an  attack. 

Beauregard  expressed  himself  at  once  as  being  in  per 
fect  unison  of  sentiment  with  Pickett,  agreeing  to  the  pro 
priety  of  all  he  said.  He  proffered  his  co-operation  and 
assistance,  and  promised  to  reinforce  Pickett  as  speedily 
as  possible  with  whatever  troops  he  could  spare. 

Upon  Pickett's  return  to  Petersburg  he  found  that  in 
the  face  of  all  argument,  in  spite  of  all  warning,  the  expe 
dition  to  Plymouth  had  been  ordered  forward. 


PICKE TTS  DEFENSE  OF  PE TERSB URG.  3 39 

General  Pickett  having  planned  the  capture  of  Plym 
outh,  he  was,  of  course,  to  have  commanded  in  person, 
but  just  upon  the  eve  of  his  starting  out  from  his  head 
quarters  at  Petersburg  he  received  a  despatch  from  the 
War  Department  at  Richmond,  directing  him  to  turn  over 
the  command  to  Brigadier-General  Hoke.  The  command 
consisted  of  Hoke's,  Terry's  and  Ransom's  brigades. 
Barton's,  Corse's  and  Terry's  brigades  were  kept  in  North 
Carolina  against  the  advice  and  warning  of  both  Beaure- 
gard  and  Pickett,  who  strongly  urged  that  they  be  sent  to 
Petersburg  to  the  support  of  Pickett,  who  had  but  a  hand 
ful  of  men  to  guard  the  weakest  point  of  the  Confederacy, 
the  open  gate  to  Richmond,  its  capital.  Beauregard  sent 
a  cipher  despatch  to  Pickett,  saying: 

I  have  no  control  over  these  troops,  or  they  should  be  ordered  at 
once  to  your  relief.  With  you,  I  am  nonplused  and  at  sea  with  con 
jectures.  It  is  but  a  question  now 

On  the  2d  day  of  May,  1864,  Pickett  was  ordered  to 
report  to  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  and  Beauregard 
was  assigned  to  the  division  of  North  Carolina. 

The  3d  of  May,  my  uncle,  Dr.  John  T.  Phillips,  who 
was  a  practicing  physician  at  Ivor  on  the  Norfolk  and 
Petersburg  Railroad,  sent  a  special  message  by  a  trusty 
old  neighbor  to  Pickett,  to  the  effect  that  Butler,  with 
fleet  and  transports  all  in  readiness,  was  only  awaiting 
orders  to  advance.  This  letter  Pickett  sent  over  at  once 
to  the  War  Department  and  telegraphed  its  contents  to 
Beauregard,  who,  being  ill,  sent  to  Pickett  his  inspector- 
general,  Major  Giles  T.  Cooke,  and  his  chief  engineer, 
Colonel  D.  B.  Harris. 

On  the  5th  of  May,  the  very  day  of  Butler's  advance, 
Colonel  Walter  Harrison,  Pickett's  inspector-general,  and 
Major  Giles  T.  Cooke,  Beauregard's  inspector-general, 


340  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

had  gone  down  from  Petersburg  to  inspect  the  lines  of 
defense  and  troops  on  the  Blackwater  River  at  Ivor  on 
the  Norfolk  and  Petersburg  Railroad.  They  learned  that 
the  signals  on  the  James  River  were  telegraphing  the 
passage  of  Butler's  fleet  and  transports.  Colonel  Harrison 
hastened  back  in  the  train  to  Petersburg  and  confirmed 
the  information  already  signaled  to  Pickett. 

Butler  had  only  been  awaiting  the  co-operation  of  Gen 
eral  Grant,  who  was  to  move  from  the  Rapidan  on  to 
Richmond  from  the  north.  On  the  5th  of  May,  the  at 
tack  against  which  Pickett  had  so  often  warned  the  War 
Department  was  made.  Butler  came  up  the  James  River 
with  his  whole  force  in  transports,  protected  by  his  gun 
boats,  and  landed  without  opposition  at  City  Point  and  Ber 
muda  Hundred,  lying  between  the  James  and  Appomat- 
tox  Rivers.  A  whole  division  of  his  cavalry  moved  di 
rectly  toward  Petersburg  along  the  line  of  the  Blackwater. 
Notwithstanding  the  repeated  warning  of  Pickett,  the  gov 
ernment  was  totally  unprepared  and  the  country  at  large 
completely  surprised.  Thus  the  world  heeds  its  clear- 
visioned  seers  now,  who  tell  of  evil  because  they  must,  no 
more  than  in  the  olden  days  when  the  sorrowful  Cassandra 
wandered  sadly  and  alone  in  the  sacred  laurel  grove  of 
Apollo  and  poured  forth  her  mournful  plaint  for  a  nation 
that  would  not  see. 

As  stated  above,  on  the  night  of  the  2d  of  May. 
when  Beauregard  was  assigned  to  the  Department  of  North 
Carolina,  Pickett  received  orders  to  report  to  the  Army 
of  Northern  Virginia.  He  could  not,  however,  turn  a 
deaf  ear  to  the  pleadings  of  the  council  and  the  prayers 
and  entreaties  of  the  panic-stricken  people  of  Petersburg, 
as  well  as  to  the  mandates  of  his  own  brave  and  tender 
heart,  and  leave  the  city  to  the  mercy  of  sword  and  flame. 
He  instantly  made  every  available  disposition  for  the  de- 


PICKE TT  'S  DEFENSE  OF  PE TERSE URG.  34 1 

fense  of  the  place,  with  the  small  means  at  his  command, 
which,  all  told,  was  one  regiment  of  infantry  of  Cling- 
man's  North  Carolina  brigade,  and  a  few  pieces  of  artil 
lery. 

On  the  Blackwater  River  there  was  a  portion  of  Cling- 
man's  brigade,  one  regiment  of  infantry — the  Twenty-ninth 
Virginia  —  one  battery  of  artillery,  and  a  small  squad  of 
cavalry.  The  only  infantry  regiment  he  moved  out  in 
front  of  the  works  on  the  City  Point  road  and  put  on 
picket-duty  all  along  the  line.  The  eleven  pieces  of 
artillery,  which  was  all  he  had,  he  placed  in  the  works  at 
that  point. 

In  his  defense  of  Petersburg,  Pickett  verified  the  state 
ment  of  General  Grant,  "The  rebels  are  robbing  the  cradle 
and  the  grave,"  for  the  militia  and  every  available  citizen 
of  every  sort  and  condition  were  ordered  out  and  com 
manded  to  advance  in  the  direction  of  the  Federals. 

The  small  force  on  the  Blackwater  River  was  ordered 
back  immediately.  The  heroic,  unselfish  wives  and 
daughters  of  the  Confederacy  carried  the  despatches  and 
cooked  the  food  for  their  soldiers  and  defenders. 

Now,  with  but  six  hundred  men,  two  hundred  of  whom 
were  only  partially  effective,  Pickett  awaited  the  approach 
of  Butler  with  his  thirty  thousand  strong.  A  small  force 
it  was,  counted  by  men  and  guns,  but  how  inconceivably 
strong  and  great  when  measured  by  determination,  by 
ardor,  by  enthusiasm,  and,  greatest  of  all,  by  a  firm  and 
abiding  love.  Did  not  every  man  from  the  brave  leader 
to  the  weakest  private  feel  his  heart  thrill  tumultuously 
as  he  reflected  that  behind  him  stood  home,  friends,  loved 
ones,  the  closest  and  dearest  of  family  ties,  all  that  his 
heart  held  dear  in  life,  dependent  on  the  valor  and  skill 
with  which  he  held  his  ground? 

A  small  and  feeble  band,  it  might  be  said,  to  face  such 


342  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

odds,  but  it  was  led  by  the  same  Pickett  who,  with  one 
company  of  United  States  regulars,  held  the  whole  British 
fleet  at  bay  at  San  Juan  Island,  and  made  the  English 
lion  crouch  to  the  star-spangled  banner.  Would  not  he 
who  had  fought  so  bravely  for  a  little  strip  of  earth  on 
which  a  nation  had  risked  its  honor,  after  the  reckless 
fashion  of  nations,  battle  with  yet  more  ardent  heroism 
for  home  and  loved  ones,  dearer  to  every  true  man  than 
aught  else? 

A  portion  of  Haygood's  South  Carolina  brigade,  the 
first  reinforcement  of  troops  from  the  south,  arrived  on 
the  6th  of  May,  the  next  day  after  the  attack.  Pickett 
stationed  them  at  Port  Walthall  Junction,  on  the  railroad 
between  Richmond  and  Petersburg,  about  six  miles  dis 
tant  from  the  latter  place.  The  whole  of  Beauregard's 
army  was  south  of  Petersburg  and  was  on  its  way  toward 
the  defense  of  Richmond  on  the  south  side.  Hence  it  was 
all-important  that  this  connection  between  Petersburg  and 
Richmond  should  be  kept  open.  Pickett,  knowing  this, 
detained  this  brigade  on  his  own  responsibility,  although 
he  had  been  ordered  in  a  telegram  from  Bragg,  of  the 
War  Department  in  Richmond,  to  send  them  directly  on 
to  Richmond.  It  was  only  by  the  intervention  of  this 
gallant  little  force  of  Haygood's  brave  South  Carolinians, 
who  had  a  sharp  skirmish  with  Butler's  advance  column, 
driving  them  back,  that  the  Federals  were  kept  off  of  the 
railroad  and  the  connection  between  the  two  cities  was 
preserved  unbroken. 

The  Weldon  Railroad  was  threatened  by  Kautz's  cavalry 
division,  which  had  worked  its  way  around  in  the  rear  and 
to  the  south  of  Petersburg  and  attempted  to  intercept 
Beauregard's  troops  on  that  railroad.  Though  they  failed, 
they  yet  caused  delay  in  transportation  of  these  troops. 
On  the  ^th  of  May,  Wise's  Virginia  brigade  arrived  in 


PICKETT'S  DEFENSE   OF  PETERSBURG.  343 

Petersburg,  and  was  sent  out  on  the  line  toward  City 
Point. 

Then  the  three  brigades  of  Pickett's  division  began 
coming  in  as  fast  as  the  broken-down,  worn-out  express 
could  bring  them.  All  now  breathed  easier  and  felt 
less  apprehension  of  immediate  danger,  but  the  fear  and 
anxiety  of  the  women  and  children  during  those  days 
of  trial  and  danger  is  beyond  description.  The  roar  of 
cannon,  shot  and  shell,  filled  their  ears  through  all  the 
long  day  and  night.  Every  reverberation  brought  a 
new,  swift  dart  of  pain.  Who  had  lost  a  loved  one  with 
that  shot?  Whose  heart  was  made  desolate  with  this 
sudden,  deafening  roar?  Whose  husband,  father,  son, 
brother  or  sweetheart  would  go  with  the  next  death- 
knell?  How  soon  will  our  homes  be  in  ashes?  Will 
they  capture  the  city?  Thus  the  deadly  balls  from  the 
cruel  guns  tore  through  our  hearts  with  every  passing 
moment. 

Years  away  from  that  time  of  anguish  and  terror  I 
awaken  suddenly  with  the  crash  of  those  guns  still  in  my 
ears,  their  fearful  sounds  yet  echoing  in  my  heart,  only  to 
find  myself  safe  in  my  soft,  warm  bed  with  my  little  grand 
son,  the  golden-haired  George  E.  Pickett  IV.,  nestling 
close  in  my  arms. 

Our  home  in  Petersburg  was  situated  on  High  street, 
the  old  Mcllwaine  House,  a  beautiful  home  with  a  large 
yard  and  tall  trees  and  flowers,  green  grass  and  fountains. 
It  was  filled  with  anxious,  troubled  hearts,  women  and 
children  coming  and  going  all  day  and  all  night.  To  one 
and  all  I  said: 

"  Be  not  afraid.  As  long  as  General  Pickett's  arm  is 
raised  in  your  defense  no  harm  can  come  to  you.  I,  his 
wife,  share  your  danger,  and  the  General  will  obey  no 
order  that  will  take  him  away  from  your  defense  till  you 


344  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

are  safe.  You  can  depend  upon  my  noble,  self-sacrificing 
hero.  Trust  and  wait." 

They  not  only  trusted  in  their  brave  defender,  but  gave 
him  of  their  courage  and  strength  in  helping  him  to  keep 
up  a  brave  show  and  deceive  the  enemy,  cheering  the 
trains  as  they  came  in,  though,  alas  !  they  were  but  empty 
coaches. 

They  would  gather  at  the  station  as  each  train  was  due 
from  the  short  trip  it  made  into  the  country  to  keep  up 
the  appearance  of  transacting  a  large  business  in  transpor 
tation,  and  send  up  cheer  after  cheer  of  welcome,  fondly 
hoping  the  Federals  would  not  be  cognizant  of  the  fact 
that  there  were  none  to  be  welcomed  except  the  feeble, 
half-starved  men  who  ran  the  trains.  There  were  none, 
to  the  eye,  but  to  the  heart  were  not  those  whistling, 
rumbling  trains  full  to  overflowing  with  gallant  forms, 
clad  in  the  beautiful  gray  that  we  loved,  adorned  with 
flashing  swords,  carrying  muskets  that  meant  protection 
for  us,  and  above  all,  with  faces  that  had  bent  in  truest 
love  to  our  own? 

Such  a  week  of  anxiety  as  the  General  passed,  only  he 
can  know  who  holds  in  his  hand  the  homes,  the  lives,  the 
honor,  of  men,  women  and  children.  For  almost  that 
length  of  time  Pickett  had  not  slept,  and  for  three  days 
had  not  been  near  our  home.  His  soup  and  bread  and 
coffee,  I  myself  had  carried  to  him  out  on  the  lines.  I 
had  George  and  Bob  and  Charles,  my  cook,  butler  and 
gardener,  out  on  despatch-duty.  Each  and  all  had  done 
their  part,  and  they  had  not  trusted  in  vain  in  the  bravery 
and  strategy  of  their  fearless  defender,  for,  as  General 
Grant  had  said  in  his  telegram  to  President  Lincoln, 
Pickett  had  bottled  up  Butler  at  Petersburg. 


CHAPTER  XLI. 

A   STRANGE    BIRTHDAY    CELEBRATION. 

"General  Pickett,  a  miracle  has  been  performed.  You 
have  saved  Petersburg,  and  you  have  made  a  longer-lived 
nation  of  the  Confederacy." 

This  was  the  salutation  of  Beauregard  to  Pickett, 
upon  his  relieving  Pickett,  at  Petersburg,  in  May,  1864. 

Our  equipments  were  all  packed,  and  we  were  on  the 
eve  of  departing  from  Petersburg,  in  conformity  with 
the  orders  received  by  the  General  before  the  Federal 
attack  upon  the  city.  Now  that  our  people  were  no 
longer  in  danger,  we  were  to  go,  taking  with  us  the 
thanks  of  the  council  and  the  love  and  gratitude  of  the 
whole  city. 

We  left  Petersburg  on  Monday,  the  i6th  of  May,  1864, 
as  the  morning  of  my  birthday  was  dawning.  I  was  in  a 
carriage  with  my  maid  and  a  few  of  my  personal  effects. 
Tom  Friend,  a  courier,  was  riding  in  front,  and  Bob,  the 
valet,  was  on  the  General's  battle-horse,  "  Old  Black,"  and 
leading  my  riding-horse,  "  Mileaway,"  saddled,  so  that  I 
could  ride  with  the  General  when  he  felt  that  it  was  judi 
cious  to  gratify  me. 

When  the  General  and  his  staff  rode  up  I  was  looking 
back  at  the  city  in  the  distance,  my  soul  flooded  with  the 
blessed  memories  of  our  happy  bridal  days.  The  sun  was 
rising  and  lighting  with  its  early  rays  the  far-off  church 
wherein  eight  months  before  we  had  plighted  our  troth. 
We  looked  into  each  other's  eyes,  my  General  and  I,  then 
back  at  the  church,  then  upward  and  onward.  We  under- 

345 


346  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.  . 

stood;  our  souls  translated  for  us  the  poem  of  the  look 
—  then  the  General  rode  on. 

In  many  ways  had  my  dear  ones  always  shown  loving 
memory  of  my  birthday,  but  to-day  a  new  celebration  was 
in  store  for  me.  The  Federals  were  to  grace  the  occasion. 
I  could  not  help  contrasting  in  my  mind  various  kinds  of 
entertainment,  and  wondering  if  many  young  people  had 
celebrated  their  natal  days  in  so  many  different  manners. 
Child,  almost,  as  I  was,  I  wondered  if  I  should  ever  again 
dance  with  light  feet  and  a  merry  heart  at  a  real  birth 
day  fete. 

Thus  I  rode  through  the  dewy  morn,  the  first  golden 
rays  of  the  sun  making  a  veil  of  glory  from  the  mist  that 
shimmered  in  evanescent  beauty  to  the  touch  of  the  gentle 
wind.  They  lit  with  an  amber  glow  the  edges  of  the  fresh, 
newly  opened  leaves,  rustling  to  the  soft  movement  of  the 
morning  breeze.  They  struck  glittering  shafts  through 
the  dewdrops  that  quivered  on  the  blades  of  grass,  and 
changed  them  to  diamonds  pendent,  trembling  in  emerald 
settings.  The  echo  of  the  cannonade  that  had  thundered 
against  the  loved  city  in  which  were  centered  so  many  sweet 
memories  and  so  many  reminiscences  of  terror  yet  seemed 
to  strike  upon  ear  and  heart,  but  a  little  bird  in  a  tree  close 
by  arched  its  irised  neck  and  from  its  tiny  throat  came  a 
flood  of  melody  that  drowned  discordant  recollections. 

The  bottled  general  being  still  "  corked  up,"  and  Peters 
burg  being  for  the  time  safe,  Beauregard  deemed  it  ex 
pedient  to  move  with 'the  greater  portion  of  his  force 
toward  Richmond  and  Drury's  Bluff  on  the  James  River, 
leaving  Whiting  in  command  at  Petersburg.  Beaure- 
gard's  lines  extended  from  the  Hewlett  House  on  the 
James  River  to  Fort  Clifton  on  the  Appomattox  below 
Petersburg.  On  the  south  side  of  the  Appomattox  there 
was  a  very  small  force  for  the  defense  of  Petersburg. 


A  STRANGE  BIRTHDAY  CELEBRATION.  347 

On  the  1 5th  of  May,  1864,  Whiting  received  orders 
from  Bragg,  of  the  War  Department  at  Richmond,  to  with 
draw  his  whole  force  from  Petersburg  and  move  by  a 
roundabout  road  some  distance  in  the  rear  of  Drury's 
Bluff  so  as  to  get  into  the  defenses  of  Richmond  from  the 
rear. 

Whiting  was  both  amazed  and  indignant  at  being 
obliged  to  abandon  Petersburg  after  its  almost  miraculous 
escape  and  to  leave  it  thus  entirely  unprotected,  but,  fear 
ing  to  disobey,  he,  in  accordance  with  Bragg's  directions, 
issued  marching  orders  for  the  following  day.  This  most 
remarkable  order  of  Bragg  was  signaled  to  Beauregard 
by  Colonel  Walter  Harrison  who,  at  the  solicitation  of 
Whiting,  was  for  the  time  serving  on  his  staff.  Beaure 
gard  at  once  sent  an  order  through  Colonel  Logan  to 
Whiting,  directing  him  to  move  with  his  command  at 
daylight  on  the  i6th  of  May,  and  attack  Butler  on  his 
left,  thus  co-operating  with  Beauregard  in  his  attack. 
Whiting  was  delighted  by  this  change  of  order,  and 
most  enthusiastic  at  the  prospect  of  meeting  the  Fed 
erals. 

At  Drury's  Bluff,  where  some  of  the  batteries  were 
stationed  to  prevent  the  fleet  from  passing  up  the  river, 
Beauregard  had  three  divisions  under  Ransom,  Hoke  and 
Colquitt.  In  Ransom's  division  were  two  of  Pickett's 
brigades,  Barton's,  commanded  by  Colonel  Fry,  and 
Kemper's  old  brigade,  under  Terry.  Another  of  Pickett's 
brigades,  Corse's,  was  in  Hoke's  division. 

Beauregard's  intention  was  to  cut  off  the  Federals 
from  their  base  of  operations  at  Bermuda  Hundred,  and 
on  the  1 5th  of  May,  he  issued  orders  for  battle  on  the  next 
day.  In  a  letter  written  some  years  after  the  close  of  the 
war  Beauregard  thus  sets  forth  his  intentions  in  regard  to 
this  battle: 


348  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.     • 

We  reached  Dairy's  Bluff  at  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  in  a  ter 
rible  rain-storm,  passing  between  Butler's  left  and  the  river.  Sent  Col 
onel  Stevens  of  the  Engineers  to  President  Davis  to  tell  him  that  if  he 
would  that  day  (the  i4th)  send  me  ten  thousand  men  from  the  troops 
about  Richmond  (five  thousand  under  Ransom)  and  General  Lee's  army, 
I  would  take  Butler's  thirty  thousand  men  (who  had  been  successful  on 
the  afternoon  of  the  13th  in  taking  the  outer  line  of  defenses)  and  capture 
or  destroy  them  by  twelve  on  the  i5th.  I  would  then  move  to  attack 
Grant  on  his  left  flank  and  rear,  while  Lee  attacked  him  in  front,  and  I 
felt  sure  of  defeating  Grant  and  probably  opening  the  way  to  Washing 
ton,  where  we  might  dictate  $cace. 

Beauregard  was  not  successful  in  his  efforts  to  induce 
Bragg  to  issue  the  necessary  orders  to  enable  him  to  carry 
out  his  plans  though  he  appealed  to  him  with  an  earnest 
ness  which  might  seem  irresistible: 

"  Bragg,  circumstances  have  thrown  the  fate  of  the 
Confederacy  in  your  hands  and  mine.  J^st  us  play  our 
parts  boldly  and  fearlessly!  Issue  those  orders  and  I  will 
carry  them  out  to  the  best  of  my  ability.  I  will  guarantee 
success." 

Notwithstanding  the  rigidness  of  Bragg  and  the  con 
flicting  orders  issued  to  Whiting,  Beauregard  fought  and 
won  his  battle  on  the  i6th,  starting  out  in  the  heavy  fog 
of  the  early  dawn.  He  almost  totally  annihilated  Heck- 
man's  Star  Brigade,  took  prisoners  its  leader  and  several 
hundred  of  the  men,  and  drove  Butler's  entire  army 
toward  Bermuda  Hundred. 

Three  brigades  of  Pickett's  division,  Barton's,  Corse's 
and  Terry's,  were  engaged  in  this  battle,  behaving  with 
great  gallantry,  but  suffering  heavily. 

Colonel  Joseph  C.  Cabell,  of  the  Thirty-eighth  Vir 
ginia,  the  only  field-officer  who  came  out  of  the  battle  of 
Gettysburg  unhurt,  was  killed  in  this  action. 

Among  the  many  who  were  killed  was  Colonel  Ham- 
brick,  of  the  Twenty-fourth  Virginia.  Major  Robert  H. 


A  STRANGE  BIRTHDAY  CELEBRATION.  34g> 

Simpson,  of  the  Seventeenth  Virginia,  was  so  severely 
wounded  that  he  died  shortly  afterward. 

Whiting  so  far  obeyed  the  instructions  of  Beauregard 
as  to  cross  the  Appomattox  River  at  daylight  and  move 
with  his  command  toward  Drury's  Bluff,  but  his  energy, 
alas!  was  paralyzed  by  a  second  order  from  Bragg,  and  he 
fell  back  upon  Petersburg  without  striking  a  single  blow, 
without  giving  any  substantial  aid  to  Beauregard's  project. 

Beauregard  was  distressed  and  disappointed.  He 
affirmed  that,  had  Whiting  assisted  him  in  the  conjoint 
attack  which  he  had  planned,  Butler's  entire  army  would 
have  been  destroyed. 

Beauregard,  on  being  informed  that  Grant  was  cross 
ing  to  the  south  side  of  James  River  below  City  Point, 
was  obliged  to  abandon  his  position,  in  order  that  he 
might  defend  Petersburg,  on  the  south  side  of  the  Ap 
pomattox. 

Lee  was  promptly  notified  by  Beauregard  of  his  inten 
tions,  but  was  unable  to  relieve  him  in  time.  Beauregard 
was,  in  consequence,  forced  to  leave  the  intrenchments, 
and  Butler,  on  the  morning  of  the  i6th  of  May,  walked 
into  them  without  opposition.  He  thus  reached  the  Rich 
mond  and  Petersburg  Railroad,  which  was  unprotected, 
and  had  begun  destroying  it,  when  run  off  by  the  advance 
of  Pickett's  division. 

At  daylight,  also  on  the  i6th  of  May,  Hunton's  bri 
gade  set  off  in  advance  from  Malvern  Hill,  followed  by  the 
rest  of  Longstreet's  corps.  Between  two  and  three  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon,  while  this  column  was  moving  along  the 
Petersburg  turnpike,  about  ten  miles  from  Petersburg, 
Anderson,  who  was  then  commanding  the  corps,  and 
Pickett  with  his  staff,  riding  along  together  about  a  quar 
ter  of  a  mile  in  advance  of  the  column,  were  ambushed 
and  fired  upon  by  a  portion  of  Butler's  troops.  Hunton's 


35°  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

brigade  was  hurried  up  as  quickly  as  possible,  followed 
by  the  other  brigades.  The  Federal  forces  were  driven 
back  toward  Bermuda  Hundred.  They  fought  hard  to 
hold  the  line  recently  given  up  by  Beauregard,  but  the 
whole  line  was  retaken,  and  was  held  by  Pickett's  division 
from  that  time  on  until  March,  1865,  when  it  was  relieved 
by  Mahone's  division  and  sent  off  to  meet  Sheridan's 
cavalry  raid  upon  the  upper  James  and  around  Richmond. 
Lee  said  it  was  not  his  intention  that  this  attack  on 
Bermuda  Hundred  should  be  carried  to  such  an  extent, 
but  he  was  so  delighted  and  gratified  with  the  result,  and 
so  proud  of  the  perseverance  and  daring  of  his  brave 
Virginians  that  he  afterward  wrote  a  complimentary 
acknowledgment  of  their  service  in  the  following  letter 
to  Anderson: 

CLAY'S  HOUSE,  5.30  P.M.,  June  17,  1864. 
LIEUTENANT-GENERAL  R.  H.  ANDERSON, 

Commanding  Longstreet's  Corps. 

GENERAL:  I  take  great  pleasure  in  presenting  to  you  my  congratula 
tions  upon  the  conduct  of  the  men  of  your  corps.  I  believe  they  will 
carry  anything  they  are  put  against.  We  tried  very  hard  to  stop  Pick 
ett's  men  from  capturing  the  breastworks  of  the  enemy,  but  could  not 
do  it.  I  hope  his  loss  has  been  small. 

I  am,  with  respect,  your  obedient  servant, 

R.  E.  LEE,  General. 

On  the  I7th,  the  morning  after  the  battle  of  Drury's 
Farm,  Longstreet's  corps  pursued  the  Federals  to  the 
Hewlett  House  on  the  James  River,  and  bivouacked  for 
the  night  in  an  unfinished  earthwork  not  more  than  six 
hundred  yards  from  the  Federal  gunboats  and  monitors, 
which  kept  up  an  incessant  shelling  throughout  the  night. 

On  the  i8th,  the  corps  marched  toward  Manchester, 
and  thence  on  the  morning  of  the  20th,  by  way  of  the 
Fredericksburg  and  Potomac  Railroad  to  Milford  Station, 


A  STRANGE  BIRTHDAY  CELEBRATION.  35! 

where  it  had  a  skirmish  with  the  Federals.  It  is  said  that 
this  fight,  together  with  the  misleading  statement  by  some 
captured  scouts  that  Lee's  headquarters  were  just  across 
the  river  in  the  large  white  house,  and  that  his  whole  army 
was  close  by,  delayed  Grant  for  several  hours  and  enabled 
Lee  to  cross  the  North  Anna  in  advance,  for  which  point 
he  set  out  the  next  day. 

On  Wednesday,  the  25th  of  May,  the  old  division  was 
again  reunited,  and  moved  to  the  right  on  a  parallel  line 
with  the  Federal  army,  frequent  skirmishing  along  the 
iront  making  the  death-roll  larger. 


CHAPTER  XLII. 

COLD    HARBOR. 

In  Revolutionary  days  Cool  Arbor  was  a  favorite  sum 
mer  resort  for  Virginia  society.  We  can  imagine  our  fore 
fathers  and  foremothers  retreating  before  the  vindictive 
assaults  of  the  fierce  rays  of  the  Virginia  sun  to  the  re 
freshing  shades  which  gave  to  Cool  Arbor  its  invigorating 
title. 

Perhaps  the  Father  of  his  Country  rested  here  from 
the  cares  devolved  upon  him  by  his  unmanageable  infant. 
Alexander  Hamilton,  turning  from  contemplation  of  state 
papers  and  military  reports,  may  have  unbent  his  austere 
mind  in  this  sylvan  spot,  seeking  that  social  relaxation  in 
which  the  gravest  intellect  must  sometimes  indulge. 

Through  the  corridors  of  Cool  Arbor  Inn  gracious  co 
lonial  dames  and  demoiselles  walked  in  majestic  array,  or 
gracefully  moved  through  the  mazes  of  the  dance,  hap 
pily  unconscious  of  the  complicated  labyrinths  of  her 
aldry  they  were  weaving  for  future  generations. 

Heroic  followers  of  Mars  turned  from  devotion  to 
their  stern  divinity  and  enlisted  in  the  service  of  Cupid, 
willingly  relinquishing  their  laurels  as  conquerors,  and  con 
senting  to  deck  their  brows  with  the  myrtles  of  the  con 
quered. 

Alas,  that  classic  and  poetic  situations  will  in  time  — 
and  so  short  a  time,  too  —  fade  into  the  merest  traditions 
and  become  only  fanciful  ornamentations  for  works  of 
fiction.  With  the  lapse  of  generations  Cool  Arbor,  with 
all  its  delightful  umbrageous  suggestions,  became  com- 

352 


COLD  HARBOR.  353 

monplace  Cold  Harbor,  with  occasional  deterioration  into 
Coal  Harbor,  grimy  and  repellant.  No  more  trailing  of 
soft  silken  and  lace  robes  through  the  shaded  corridors  of 
the  old  colonial  inn.  No  more  tread  of  martial  step,  soft 
ened  deferentially  to  keep  pace  with  the  graceful  fall  of 
delicately  slippered  feet. 

As  Cold  Harbor,  the  domain  was  wrested  from  the 
gentle  sway  of  the  tender  gods  and  relegated  to  the 
sterner  rule  of  crimson-hued  Mars.  The  old  inn,  which 
in  its  ancient  Cool  Arbor  days  had  softly  echoed  to  the 
melodious  notes  of  harp  and  spinet,  became  the  head 
quarters  of  the  commander-in-chief  of  a  great  army,  and 
its  walls  resounded  with  military  orders  and  the  multi 
tudinous  discords  of  war. 

For  a  second  time  Cold  Harbor  became  the  scene  of  a 
battle.  In  the  evolution  of  the  wheel  of  time  the  two 
armies  drew  near  each  other  at  almost  the  same  point  ort 
the  historic  river  which  two  years  before  had  furnished  a 
field  for  the  battle  of  Gaines's  Mill,  otherwise  known  as 
the  first  battle  of  Cold  Harbor. 

Grant  had  been  appointed  lieutenant-general  and 
placed  in  command  of  all  the  United  States  armies,  choos 
ing  his  headquarters  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  in 
heroic  defiance  of  the  political  wires  which  had  been 
woven  into  a  death-trap  for  most  of  the  commanders 
whose  fortunes  had  heretofore  been  linked  with  the  east 
ern  branch  of  the  Federal  army. 

Over  a  crimson  road  had  the  two  armies  returned  to 
Cold  Harbor.  The  Wilderness  had  become  one  great, 
wide  graveyard.  The  wind  which  soughed  through  the 
dark  and  heavy  forest  sighed  a  requiem  over  nearly  fifty 
thousand  of  Grant's  men. 

From  October,  1863,  until  May,  1864,  Pickett's  division 
was  detached  from  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia.  On* 

23 


354  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN, 

May  25  it  reported  to  Lee  at  Hanover  Junction,  and  was 
stationed  at  the  front  to  oppose  Grant's  attempted  cross 
ing  of  the  North  Anna.  Hunton's  brigade  was  near  the 
old  battle-field  of  Gaines's  Mill.  While  it  held  this  posi 
tion  Captain  Charles  F.  Linthicum,  the  adjutant-general 
of  the  brigade,  was  killed,  and  Lieutenant  John  H.  Jones, 
aide-de-camp,  was  severely  wounded.  They  had  both 
done  valiant  service  with  the  old  division  ever  since  1862. 

On  the  night  of  the  3ist  of  May  the  First  Corps  under 
Anderson,  Longstreet  having  been  wounded  in  the  Wilder 
ness  a  few  days  before,  marched  with  its  artillery  to  a 
point  near  Cold  Harbor  to  join  General  Hoke  in  an  at 
tack  upon  Grant's  left.  As  the  Federal  army  was  strongly 
defended,  the  assault  was  postponed  and  the  Confederates 
prepared  fortifications. 

Grant  had  reached  nearly  the  same  point  in  his  march 
down  the  river  which  McClellan,  in  1862,  had  gained  in  his 
upward  progress.  He  was  expecting  reinforcements  from 
the  Army  of  the  James,  then  lying  before  Richmond.  Fear 
ing  that  they  would  be  met  and  cut  off  by  Lee  from  the 
south,  he  drew  down  upon  the  northern  bank  to  intercept 
any  such  movement.  Sheridan  was  sent  with  his  cavalry 
and  an  artillery  force  to  secure  Cold  Harbor,  where  he  was 
heavily  attacked  on  the  morning  of  June  I,  maintaining 
his  ground  with  great  difficulty  until  late  in  the  afternoon, 
when  he  was  reinforced  by  the  Sixth  Corps  and  ten  thou 
sand  troops  under  General  W.  F.  Smith. 

In  the  afternoon  of  June  I,  a  fierce  attack  was  made 
by  Smith  and  Wright  upon  Hoke  and  Kershaw,  whose 
outer  line  was  broken.  So  gallant  a  defense  they  made 
that  the  advance  of  the  assailants  was  arrested,  and  the 
price  of  the  position  gained  by  the  attack  was  two  thou 
sand  killed  and  wounded,  many  of  them  officers. 

At  the  same  time  there  was  a  contest  on  the  left  of  the 


COLD  HARBOR.  355 

line,  in  which  the  Federals  were  repulsed.  The  forest  was 
so  dense  that  artillery  could  not  be  used,  but  some  guns 
were  placed  along  the  lines  of  Kershaw,  Pickett  and  Field 
and  did  good  service  through  the  next  day. 

Night  closed  the  contest  of  June  I.  Before  morning 
Grant  had  transferred  his  right  to  a  point  beyond  Cold 
Harbor  road,  and  Lee  had  sent  Hill  and  Breckenridge 
to  the  defense  of  his  right.  Pickett's  division  was  sta 
tioned,  with  the  rest  of  the  First  Corps,  between  new  and 
old  Cold  Harbor.  The  troops  of  Breckenridge  and  Hill 
extended  to  the  Chickahominy.  Fitzhugh  Lee's  cavalry 
guarded  the  line  between  the  Chickahominy  and  the 
James.  North  of  the  First  Corps  and  to  its  left  was 
Ewell's  corps,  commanded  by  Early.  At  the  extreme 
left  was  Heth's  division.  Over  them  the  June  sun  poured 
down  floods  of  heat  and  around  them  surged  heavy  clouds 
of  dust  as  the  troops  marched  over  the  field  on  the  2d 
of  June. 

The  afternoon  of  the  2d  Lee  ordered  an  assault 
upon  Grant's  right,  which  was  found  to  be  so  strongly 
posted  as  to  be  invincible;  whereupon  Early  erected  de 
fenses  and  waited.  At  about  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
a  heavy  fall  of  rain  began,  continuing  into  the  night. 
That  night  orders  were  issued  by  Grant  for  an  assault  all 
along  the  line.  About  half  past  four  the  next  morning, 
Friday,  a  single  gun  to  the  left  of  the  Federal  line  gave 
the  signal  for  the  advance  upon  the  Confederate  position. 

Through  the  rain  of  the  gray  dawn  of  June  3,  a  grand 
assault  was  made  along  the  whole  six  miles  of  the  line. 
The  Confederate  guns  opened  the  counter-attack,  and 
were  followed  by  the  advance  of  Pickett's  skirmishers, 
in  which  Captain  Campbell  G.  Lawson,  of  the  Fifteenth 
Virginia,  was  so  badly  wounded  that  he  was  never  again 
on  a  field  of  battle. 


PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

From  all  the  angles  of  the  Confederate  lines  poured  a 
stream  of  fire  which  left  no  living  thing  in  its  track.  Bar 
low's  division  of  Hancock's  corps  fell  back  before  a  heavy 
rain  of  shot  and  shell.  Gibbon's  division  reached  the 
parapets  and  recoiled.  Wright  and  Smith  were  driven 
back  after  an  hour's  fierce  contest.  While  Warren  held 
the  Confederate  line  in  front,  Burnside  was  to  attack  the 
left.  The  outposts  fell  back  before  his  charge,  but  the 
order  to  attack  in  force  was  countermanded,  the  failure  of 
the  assault  on  the  other  part  of  the  line  having  convinced 
Meade  that  the  works  could  not  be  carried.  Three  thou 
sand  of  Hancock's  men  lay  upon  the  field. 

The  order  to  withdraw  was  given  by  Meade,  the  battle 
of  Cold  Harbor  was  over,  and  nearly  ten  thousand  of 
Grant's  troops  had  gone  to  reinforce  the  army  of  the  lost 
in  that  gloomy  and  blood-stained  Wilderness.  Grant  or 
dered  a  renewal  of  the  attack,  but  his  generals  refused  to 
obey. 


CHAPTER  XLIII. 
"LEE'S  MISERABLES." 

As  previously  stated,  the  line  from  Hewlett  House  on 
the  James,  opposite  Dutch  Gap  Canal,  across  to  Swift 
Creek  and  Fort  Clifton  on  the  Appomattox,  was  held  by 
Pickett's  division  after  the  retaking  of  the  lines  of  Ber 
muda  Hundred,  and  we  were  posted  in  a  grove  between 
Hewlett's  and  Chester.  My  brother-in-law  and  his  little 
family  were  in  a  log  cabin  within  a  stone's  throw  from  our 
own,  and  many  of  the  officers  had  brought  their  wives  to 
cheer  their  winter  hours.  So  there  was  no  lack  of  social 
diversion.  In  a  small  way  we  had  our  dances,  our  con 
versaziones  and  musicales,  quite  like  the  gay  world  that 
had  never  known  anything  about  war  except  from  the 
pages  of  books  and  the  columns  of  newspapers.  True,  we 
did  not  feast.  Our  larders  were  empty.  But  we  rode,  and 
drove,  and  walked,  and  made  calls,  very  much  as  leisurely 
people  do  in  peaceful  days,  when  something  must  be  found 
to  occupy  the  idle  mind. 

A  want  more  painful  for  many  than  the  lack  of  food 
or  clothing  was  the  poverty  of  our  libraries. 

Perhaps  you  think  you  know  the  value  of  the  art  of 
printing.  You  go  into  your  library  and  seat  yourself  in 
an  easy  chair  and  look  around  with  complacent  air  upon 
your  literary  treasures.  You  could  not  imagine  life  with 
out  your  favorite  authors.  You  hear  them  speak  to  you 
through  the  silence.  You  feel  the  air  pulsating  with  their 
swift,  strong,  warm  heart-beats.  You  stretch  out  eager 
hands  and  feel  the  tender  clasp  of  the  hands  that  grasped 

357 


PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

life's  deepest  forces  in  the  ages  gone.  You  stand  with 
prophets,  poets,  kings,  of  the  great  world  of  thought. 
Down  in  the  depths  of  your  soul  you  thank  Faust  and 
Gutenberg  for  having  been  born. 

You  will  never  have  an  adequate  sense  of  the  extent 
of  your  indebtedness  to  those  grand  old  Teutons  until  you 
have  grown  accustomed  to  regarding  even  a  last  week's 
newspaper  as  a  gracious  benefaction,  a  summer  novel  as 
an  Olympian  gift,  a  fugitive  stanza,  drifted  across  your 
way  by  a  friendly  wind,  as  a  great  rose-garden  of  the  mind, 
filling  your  world  full  of  beauty  and  fragrance. 

If  you  had  known  all  these  things  you  would  realize 
what  my  feelings  were  when  our  good  friend,  General 
Rufus  Ingalls,  of  the  United  States  army,  sent  to  us  across 
the  lines  a  beautiful  copy  of  "  Les  Miserables."  How  we 
wept  with  Fantine  and  Cosette!  How  we  loved  the  good 
Mayor  Madeleine,  all  the  dearer  to  us  because  he  had 
once  been  Jean  Valjean!  How  we  hated  Javert,  that  cold 
and  stony  pillar  of  "authority"!  How  we  starved  with 
Marius  and  waxed  indignant  in  contemplating  his  frigid 
grandfather!  How  we  fought  over  and  over  the  wonder 
ful  battle  of  Waterloo,  and  compared  it  with  other  con 
tests  of  which  we  knew! 

The  soldiers,  with  a  quick  instinct  of  appropriateness 
born  of  experience,  rechristened  the  work  "Lee's  Miser 
ables,"  and  certainly  no  book  ever  achieved  the  popularity 
of  that  most  marvelous  picture  of  life.  They  watched 
with  eager  eyes  and  hearts  its  progress  along  the  line. 
They  formed  groups  around  the  camp-fire  and  the  man 
who  was  deemed  to  have  the  greatest  elocutionary  devel 
opment  was  appointed  reader  for  the  assembly. 

"It's  our  turn  now.  The  General's  wife  said  we  were 
to  have  'Lee's  Miserables'  next,"  one  would  cry  out 
triumphantly. 


"LEE'S  MISERABLES."  359 

"  It  is  too  good  a  book  to  be  lent  around  in  this  way  to 
the  men,"  said  a  book-lover,  jealously,  glancing  over  the 
many  penciled  marks;  for  after  the  initiatory  christening 
and  comments  the  men  began  in  turn  as  they  read  it  to 
write  their  sentiments,  till  every  space  —  margin,  fly-leaf, 
every  spot,  in  fact,  where  the  pencil  could  find  room  for 
a  name,  a  word,  a  thought  —  was  covered. 

"Let  them  have  the  book  and  mark  it  all  they  want 
to,  for  nothing  is  too  good  for  the  poor  devils,"  said  the 
General,  as  he  smilingly  read  aloud  these  marginal  notes: 
"Abe  Lincoln  re-elected;  has  called  for  a  million  of  men; 
and  Jeff  Davis  says  war  to  the  knife.  What  shall  we  do?  " 
And  again,  "We  sadly  miss  thy  green  persimmons,  dear 
old  Chester,  with  which  thy  fields  did  once  so  abound,  and 
which  did  mercifully  help  us  in  our  efforts  to  draw  up  our 
stomachs  to  the  size  of  our  rations."  "  As  our  fore 
fathers  resisted  British  tyranny,  so  we  shall  resist  the  as 
sault  upon  our  constitutional  freedom  and  the  sovereignty 
of  the  States  of  the  Confederacy." 

I  have  the  old  book  now,  and,  in  comparison  with  it, 
the  most  gorgeous  edition  de  luxe  of  Victor  Hugo  ever 
sent  out  by  enterprising  publisher  to  ravish  the  eye  of  the 
connoisseur  is  of  no  value  whatever.  " Les  Miserables" 
was  one  of  the  few  books  published  in  Charleston,  and  was 
printed  on  paper  manufactured  in  the  Confederacy.  The 
General  sent  on  and  bought  for  his  men  a  number  of  copies 
of  it  and  of  several  other  books  published  at  that  time. 

One  of  my  greatest  pleasures  was  to  ride  along  the 
lines  with  the  General.  The  easy,  graceful  movement  of 
my  horse,  the  amber  sunlight,  the  glint  of  color  in  a  late 
autumn  flower  which  had  escaped  the  tramp  of  heavy  feet, 
the  ringing  cheers  of  the  men  as  they  saw  us  coming,  all 
helped  to  make  me  lose  sight  for  a  moment  of  the  awful 
cause  of  our  being  there. 


360  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

One  morning  as  we  rode  along  the  Hewlett  House  line, 
I  saw  a  puff  of  smoke  rise  in  the  distance,  drifting,  scat 
tering,  becoming  a  mere  film  as  it  floated  higher  and 
higher  until  it  was  lost  against  the  blue  sky. 

"  How  pretty  that  smoke  is,"  I  said. 

The  General  looked  at  it  attentively,  then  said  anx 
iously: 

"Yes,  dangerously  beautiful.  It  is  from  a  shell.  The 
enemy  have  begun  firing  again.  Come,  you'd  better  ride 
on  as  fast  as  you  can  and  let  me  get  you  beyond  the 
danger." 

"  No,  no,  General.  I  could  not  do  that,"  I  replied,  with 
something  of  the  indignation  which  a  soldier  might  have 
felt  upon  being  recommended  to  run  away  from  battle. 
"Never,  never,  in  the  wide  world  would  I  let  Pickett's 
men  see  your  wife  riding  fast  to  get  away  from  danger." 

As  we  rode  slowly  along  amid  the  cheers  of  the  sol 
diers,  looking  as  carelessly  over  at  the  beautifully  curl 
ing  columns  of  smoke  as  if  they  were  harmless  clouds, 
Captain  Smith  rode  up. 

"They  are  not  firing  at  us,"  he  said,  greeting  me  and 
saluting  the  General.  "They  are  testing  their  guns,  I 
think,  for  the  entertainment  of  Mrs.  Grant,  who,  I  learn, 
has  this  morning  come  down  to  the  lines.  She  is  just 
over  there,  as  you  see,  looking  on,"  handing  us  his  glass. 
"Nevertheless,  our  position  is  not  a  safe  one.  A  stray 
ball  might  accidentally  strike  us  here.  Would  it  not  be 
better  for  you  to  take  Mrs.  Pickett  away?  Turn  to  the 
left  into  that  clump  of  trees." 

"She  will  not  go,"  said  the  General,  "and  I  can  not  is 
sue  a  military  order,  as  I  might  in  the  case  of  any  other 
insubordinate.  The  only  disadvantage,  Captain,  of  having 
a  wife  is  that,  whatever  place  you  may  hold  on  the  army 
rolls,  she  outranks  you." 


"LEE'S  MISERABLES."  361 

Thus  we  sat  our  horses  in  the  glory  of  the  sunbright 
Southern  morning,  and  chatted  gaily  of  anything,  every 
thing,  nothing  —  just  what  came  to  us  on  the  fleet  wings 
of  the  passing  moment,  while  the  guns  over  on  the  enemy's 
lines  troubled  the  air  with  their  thunderous  roar,  the  puffs 
of  smoke  adding  their  touches  of  artistic  grace  to  the 
landscape.  The  balls  were  aimless.  They  harmed  nothing 
but  the  helpless  and  unresisting  earth,  which  was  scarred 
where  they  fell.  It  was  a  playtime  of  war. 

The  captain  bade  us  adieu,  lifted  his  hat  and  rode  on 
in  advance,  riding  in  that  graceful  way  which  the  South 
erner  has  by  inheritance  from  a  long  line  of  ancestors 
who  have  been  accustomed  to  ride  over  wide  reaches 
of  land.  I  watched  him  as  he  rode  on,  then  —  my  heart 
in  terror  stands  still  even  now,  as  I  faintly  try  to  record 
the  dread  sight.  The  captain's  horse  dashed  on  down  the 
lines,  bearing  a  headless  body.  One  of  the  aimless  balls, 
.alas!  had  found  a  mark. 


CHAPTER  XLIV. 

THE    BERMUDA    HUNDRED    LINES. 

When  I  returned  to  the  Bermuda  Hundred  lines, 
bringing  back  with  me  our  blessed  little  baby,  there 
was  none  of  the  pomp  and  panoply  of  war,  though  Rich 
mond  and  Petersburg  were  one  large  camp  of  soldiers. 
Day  by  day  the  North  was  growing  stronger,  the  South 
weaker. 

A  number  of  Pickett's  men  had  learned  of  our  ex 
pected  arrival,  and  when  the  General,  thinking  the  secret 
of  our  coming  was  all  his  own,  emerged  on  horseback 
from  a  clump  of  trees  near  the  railway-station,  he  found 
Colonel  Floweree  with  his  band,  squads  from  the  dif 
ferent  regiments,  the  members  of  his  staff  and  some  of 
the  brigade  and  regimental  officers,  there  before  him, 
waiting  to  welcome  the  new  little  soldier  who  was  com 
ing  to  share  with  him  and  them  the  privations  of  their 
camp-life. 

As  the  old  train  creaked  slowly  into  the  station, 
Floweree's  band  struck  up,  "See  the  Conquering 
Hero  Comes,"  and  cheer  after  cheer  went  up  for  "the 
General's  baby,"  for  whom  bonfires  had  boen  lighted 
twenty-nine  days  before  while  the  happy  father  was 
riding  hastily  into  Richmond  to  welcome  his  little 
namesake  son.  He  could  stay  only  a  few  hours,  and 
when  leaving  he  leaned  over  the  cradle,  thanked  God 
for  the  blessing  of  our  precious  little  baby,  and  put 
into  his  tiny  hand  the  following  passport  and  congratu 
lations: 

362 


THE  BERMUDA  HUNDRED  LINES.  363 

HEADQUARTERS  ARMY  OF  NORTHERN  VIRGINIA. 

July  17,  1864. 

Major-General  Pickett  has  permission  to  visit  Richmond  and  return. 
By  order  of  General  Lee.  W.  H.  TAYLOR, 

Acting  Adjutant-General. 

DEAR  GENERAL:  Accept  through  me  the  congratulations  of  the 
general  commanding  and  the  whole  army.  My  best  wishes  in  addition. 

Yours  truly,         TAYLOR. 

The  General,  with  bowed  head  and  hat  in  hand,  in 
grateful  acknowledgment  of  this  delicate  expression  of 
the  love  of  his  comrades  in  coming  to  greet  us,  rode  on 
past  them  and  boarded  the  train  just  before  it  reached 
the  station.  As  soon  as  he  handed  us  off,  his  men  sur 
rounded  us,  eager  to  take  a  peep  into  the  great  bundle  of 
swaddling-clothes  which  hid  from  view  their  "little  gen 
eral"  as  they  then  christened  him. 

We  were  hurried  into  the  carriage,  too  soon  for  some,  at 
least,  of  the  dear  soldiers.  One,  whose  name  was  Young, 
and  who,  as  the  General  told  me  afterward,  had  been 
wounded  in  the  battle  of  June  17,  coming  near  losing 
his  head,  which  was  just  missed  by  a  ball,  took  George 
Junior,  sans  ceremonie^  from  my  arms,  and  held  him  up  to 
the  welcoming  gaze  of  his  comrades.  With  many  a  word 
of  love  and  blessing,  our  baby  was  passed  on  down  the 
line  from  one  to  another.  Tenderly,  almost  reverently, 
they  touched  him,  our  blessed  baby,  and  many  a  tear  was 
dropped  on  the  pillow  upon  which  his  thoughtful  black 
mammy,  to  ensure  his  safety,  had  carefully  fastened  him. 

Meanwhile,  the  young  hero,  in  wise  and  dignified  si 
lence,  with  closed  eyes  and  clenched  fists,  received  the 
love  and  honors  thrust  upon  him.  He  may  have  made 
faces,  but  not  a  sound  did  he  utter  as  he  passed  on  in  this 
his  first  review.  No;  Pickett's  baby  gracefully  left  the 
rebel  yell  for  Pickett's  men  to  make. 


364  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

I  am  ashamed  to  confess  it,  but,  notwithstanding  the 
gentleness  of  the  soldiers,  baby's  quiet,  peaceful  mien, 
and  the  General's  continued  assurance  that  he  was  all 
right,  I,  his  very  new  and  solicitous  mother,  suffered 
agonies  of  torture  and  anxiety  until  he  was  back  again  in 
my  arms;  and  oh,  dear,  what  a  greasy,  dirty,  grimy  little 
bundle  it  was  when  I  did  get  it  back.  One  would  hardly 
have  recognized  the  snow-white  baby  of  a  few  minutes 
before.  Nor  was  the  soiled  linen  the  only  price  the  "  little 
general"  had  to  pay  for  honor  and  glory  —  there  were 
other  emoluments.  Our  poor  army,  for  want  of  soap  and 
clothes,  had  superior  numbers  of  graybacks  as  well  as 
bluecoats  to  fight,  and  this  enemy  put  our  young  gen 
eral  through  his  first  contest  and,  in  spite  of  our  raising 
the  black  flag,  and  of  the  combined  heroic  and  immediate 
remedies  of  surgeon,  mother,  and  nurse,  it  was  many  days 
before  our  wee,  wee  soldier  recovered  from  the  wounds 
received  in  his  first  battle. 

Our  army  at  this  time,  numbering  about  forty  to  fifty 
thousand,  was  holding  a  line  from  a  point  north  of  Fort 
Harrison,  on  the  north  side  of  the  James,  to  Hatcher's 
Creek,  south  of  Petersburg,  several  miles  in  length, 
bounded  on  all  sides  by  the  Federal  army.  The  Con 
federates  were  in  constant  fear  that  Grant  would  at  any 
moment  swing  around  our  right  and  shut  us  up  in  Rich 
mond  and  Petersburg  to  starve.  He  had  possession  of 
the  Weldon  road  and  was  threatening  the  Richmond  and 
Danville  Railroad,  our  only  remaining  line  connecting  us 
with  the  Southern  States  from  which  we  received  our 
supplies. 

The  line  from  Hewlett  House,  on  the  James  River 
opposite  Dutch  Gap  Canal,  across  to  Swift  Creek  and  Fort 
Clifton  on  the  Appomattox,  a  distance  of  about  three 
miles,  was  held  by  Pickett's  division,  which  numbered 


THE  BERMUDA  HUNDRED  LINES.  365 

between  four  and  five  thousand  men.  Our  line  was  so 
drawn  out  when  thrown  into  the  trenches  that  it  made 
scarcely  more  than  a  strong  skirmish-line,  while  the  Fed 
eral  lines  were  full.  Pickett's  men  worked  hard  to  make 
their  position  a  strong  one,  and  were  always  on  the  qui 
vive  for  an  assault. 

At  many  points  the  Confederate  and  Federal  lines 
were  so  close  together  that  the  soldiers  of  the  two  armies 
could  talk  to  each  other  in  an  ordinary  tone  of  voice,  could 
exchange  newspapers,  tobacco  for  coffee,  and  so  on. 

The  venturesome  Confederates  frequently  made  cap 
tives  of  the  Federal  pickets,  once  sweeping  their  line  of 
rifle-pits  for  more  than  a  hundred  yards,  and  taking  a 
hundred  and  thirty-six  prisoners.  On  one  occasion  the 
leader  of  the  Southern  band  had  been  promised  some 
music-sheets  in  exchange  for  some  Confederate  bonds 
and,  at  the  appointed  time,  went  out  midway  between 
the  lines  for  the  proposed  exchange.  When  they  sepa 
rated  the  Federal  bandmaster  handed  to  him  a  roll  of 
paper.  On  regaining  our  lines  he  found  the  papers  to  be 
a  proclamation  of  General  B.  F.  Butler,  offering  to  de 
serters  twenty  dollars  in  cash,  or  employment  in  the  com 
missary  or  quartermaster's  department  of  the  army  or 
navy,  or  transportation  to  their  homes  if  within  the  Fed 
eral  lines.  There  was  a  promised  reward  for  the  judi 
cious  disposition  of  these  papers,  but  the  loyal  band 
master  brought  them  to  headquarters,  where  they  were  all 
destroyed  except  two,  one  of  which  I  have.  After  this, 
strenuous  efforts  were  made  by  the  officers  to  break  up  all 
social  intercourse. 

The  chivalry  and  devotion  of  the  soldiers  of  Pickett's 
division  in  the  defense  of  their  homes  and  firesides  as  an 
inherent,  inalienable  right  had  drawn  them  very  near  to 
each  other.  The  humanity  and  kindliness  of  these  sol- 


PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

diers  was  a  beautiful  sermon.  As  a  class,  they  were  free 
from  vice,  immorality  and  quarreling.  Card-playing,  one 
of  the  sad  dissipations  of  the  first  two  years  of  the  war, 
had  disappeared.  The  religious  spirit  awakened  in  the 
division  by  Dr.  Tyler  at  Taylorsville  in  1863,  when  hun 
dreds  of  the  soldiers  professed  Christ,  seemed  still  to 
prevail. 

Now  and  again  in  passing  along  in  the  rear  of  the  tents 
the  ragged,  ill-fed  Confederate  would  be  seen  on  his 
knees,  pouring  out  his  soul  to  his  tTiessed  Saviour  and 
invoking  his  blessing  on  our  cause,  and  his  protecting 
care  for  the  loved  ones  at  home.  Our  chaplains  were  as 
patriotic  as  they  were  zealous,  many  being  wounded  and 
killed  in  battle.  The  venerable  General  Pendleton,  chief 
of  artillery,  who,  at  the  first  battle  of  Manassas,  would 
say  as  he  led  his  men  on,  "Lord,  have  mercy  on  their 
souls!  Fire,  men!  Fire!"  often  prayed  and  preached  for 
the  division.  Reverend  J.  Taylor  Frazier  organized  a 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  and  was  one  of  the 
most  earnest  of  the  workers  in  the  cause  of  Christianity. 
It  was  noticeable  that  whenever  religious  services  were 
held  almost  every  man  off  duty  would  be  in  attendance. 
Many  of  these  soldiers  who,  I  have  heard,  were  wild, 
profane,  and  some  of  them  dissipated,  have  since 
become  ministers,  and  three,  that  I  know  of,  are  now 
bishops. 

They  needed,  too,  poor  fellows,  all  the  comfort  that 
religion  could  bring,  for  these  were  dark  and  trying  days. 
Every  turn  of  the  wheel  reduced  the  supplies  and  in 
creased  the  demands  of  the  waning  Confederacy.  The 
price  of  the  necessaries  of  life  had  risen  to  such  an  enor 
mous  height  that  the  soldier's  pay  of  eleven  dollars  a 
month  was  not  sufficient  to  buy  a  half-bushel  of  wheat. 
His  rations  were  a  fourth  of  a  pound  of  bacon,  one  pint 


THE  BERMUDA  HUNDRED  LINES.  367 

of  corn-meal,  unsifted,  with  now  and  then  a  bottle  of  sor 
ghum,  a  few  beans  or  peas,  or  a  little  rice;  no  sugar, 
coffee,  or  soap. 

It  took  sixty  of  our  dollars  to  buy  one  dollar  in  gold. 
One  pound  of  soda  cost  fourteen  dollars;  a  loaf  of  bread, 
two  dollars;  unbleached  cotton  and  calico,  six  dollars  a 
yard;  shoes,  from  one  to  three  hundred  dollars  a  pair. 
But  the  privations  of  camp-life  and  the  dangers  of  the 
battle-field  were  nothing  to  the  poor  soldier  in  com 
parison  with  the  almost  certain  knowledge  that  his  wife 
and  children  and  mother  were  cold  and  hungry.  What 
wonder  is  it,  then,  devoted  though  they  were  to  their 
cause,  that  there  should  yet  be  some  desertions  from 
their  ranks?  The  following  incident  will  show  what  ex 
cuse  mercy,  if  not  justice,  might  plead  in  their  defense. 

One  morning  when  my  nurse  returned  from  the  de 
serters'  pen,  where  I  had  sent  her  with  a  bucket  of  sor 
ghum  cakes  for  its  poor  doomed  occupants,  she  told  me 
that  the  guard  said  that  one  of  the  men  in  the  pen  was 
from  my  home,  and  knew  me,  and  that  he  had  been  beg 
ging  to  be  allowed  to  send  me  a  letter. 

"  Go  back  at  once,"  I  said,  impulsively,  "and  tell  the 
guard  to  get  the  letter  and  give  it  to  you  to  bring  to  me." 

She  soon  returned,  bringing  a  package  tied  up  in  a 
corn-husk.  On  the  husk  was  written,  "  For  the  General's 
wife  when  I  am  dead."  The  package  contained  three  let 
ters,  a  little  sealed  box,  and  two  rings  carved  out  of 
•charcoal.  A  slip  of  paper  on  one  said,  "For  Pa's  little 
lady";  on  the  other,  "For  Pa's  little  man;  and  he  mustn't 
forget  his  Pa;  and  he  must  be  a  good  boy,  and  look  after 
his  Ma."  The  box  and  letters  were  directed  to  his  mother 
and  wife.  The  unsealed  letter  was  written  on  both  sides 
of  the  paper.  One  side  was  written  to  me.  On  the  other 
side  was  a  letter  from  his  wife,  as  follows: 


368  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

B N ,  Dec.  17,  1864. 

MY  DEAR  B :     Christmus  is  most  hear  again,  and  things  is  worse 

and  worse.  I  have  got  my  last  kalica  frock  on,  and  that's  patched. 
Everything  me  and  children's  got  is  patched.  Both  of  them  is  in  bed 
now  covered  up  with  comforters  and  old  pieces  of  karpet  to  keep  them 
warm,  while  I  went  'long  out  to  try  and  get  some  wood,  for  their  feet's 
on  the  ground  and  they  have  got  no  clothes,  neither;  and  I  am  not  able 
to  cut  the  wood,  and  me  and  the  children  have  broke  up  all  the  rails 
'roun'  the  yard  and  picked  up  all  the  chips  there  is.  We  haven't  got 
nothing  in  the  house  to  eat  but  a  little  bit  o '  meal.  The  last  pound  of  meet 

you  got  from  Mr.  G is  all  eat  up,  and  so  is  the  chickens  we  raised. 

I  don't  want  you  to  stop  fighten  them  yankees  till  you  kill  the  last  one 
of  them,  but  try  and  get  off  and  come  home  and  fix  us  all  up  some  and 
then  you  can  go  back  and  fight  them  a  heep  harder  than  you  ever  fought 
them  before.  We  can't  none  of  us  hold  out  much  longer  down  hear. 
One  of  General  Mahone's  skouts  promis  me  on  his  word  to  carry  this 
letter  through  the  lines  to  you,  but,  my  dear,  if  you  put  off  a-comin' 
'twon't  be  no  use  to  come,  for  we'll  all  hands  of  us  be  out  there  in  the 
garden  in  the  old  graveyard  with  your  ma  and  mine. 


The  letter  to  me  said: 

When  I  got  this  letter  on  the  back  hear  from you  see  how 

'twas.      I  knowed  they  want  a-givin"  no  furloughs,  but  I  knowed,  too,  that 

whether  they  was  or  no,  I  was  a-goin'  home  to  look  after ,  but 

I  wanted  to  go  strait  if  I  could,  so  I  went  up  to  headquarters,  and  I  saw 
the  General  hisself.  He  said  he  didn't  have  no  power  to  do  nothin' 
hisself,  that  his  orders  were  strick,  but  that  he  would  give  it  a  strong 
indorse  and  send  it  up.  I  couldn't  hardly  wait  till  the  next  day,  but  I 
kep'  a-sayin1  to  myself,  "Go  strait,  Billy,  go  strait  if  you  can;  but  if  you 
can't  go  strait,  Billy,  by  golly,  go  anyhow";  an'  when  it  come  back  re 
fused,  I  says  to  'em  all,  "I'm  a-goin1,  "an1  then  I  went  back  and  told  my 

captin  I  was  a-goin',  for  would  never  have  written  a  letter  like 

that  unless  she  was  mighty  bad  off;  and  I  went.  I  got  home  all  right 
and  seed  after  them.  If  I  had  'a'  staid  down  thar  I  would  'a'  been  a  de 
serter;  but  I  didn't  stay  —  no,  I  come  back,  and  I  ain't  one.  Seems  like 
luck  was  against  me,  though,  for  just  as  I  was  nigh  onto  a  half-mile  of 

camp  that  old  G p  arrested  me  and  I  was  found  guilty,  and  am  in  the 

next  passel  that's  got  to  be  took  out.  When  the  thing  is  all  done  and 
over  I  want  you,  please,  marm,  to  write  to  the  folkes  and  sorter  smooth 


THE  BERMUDA  HUNDRED  LINES.  369 

it  down  'bout  how  it  all  happened  to  be.  They  all  remembers  you  and 
always  asks  after  you.  They  sets  a  heep  of  store  by  me,  and  I  don't 

want  them  to  think  nothin'  bad  of  me,  and  then mought  blame 

herself  some  if  she  knowed;  so  please,  marm,  kiver  it  all  over.  Kiverin' 
it  won't  hurt  nothin'  and  it  mought  ease  things  a  bit.  I  know  all  your 
folkes  and  I  went  to  school  to  your  Uncle  Jasper  close  onto  a  year. 
I  knowed  your  brother  Tom  before  he  died,  and  he  want  afeered  of 
nothin'  on  earth;  he'd  pull  off  his  co«tt  and  roll  up  his  sleeves  and  fight 
a  elefant  if  the  elefant  had  'a1  been  a-tryin'  to  impose  on  him  or  anybody 
else  littler  than  him.  Well,  this  is  the  end  of  the  paper,  and  when 
you  get  this  t'will  be  the  end  of  me,  too.  God  bless  you,  God  in  heaven 
bless  you  —  double  times.  Please,  ;narm,  don't  let  none  of  them 
douun  home  lose  store  by  me  if  you  can  help  it.  Please,  marm,  and 
that  is  all. 


Thus  on  the  cold  and  cheerless  hearth  of  the  lowly 
cabin  burned  the  fires  of  patriotic  ardor,  and  the  poorr 
unlettered  soldier,  having  to  the  best  of  his  small  abil 
ity  ministered  to  the  wants  of  his  suffering  family,  had 
voluntarily  returned  to  his  duty  under  his  flag,  regard 
less  of  the  danger  of  meeting  a  deserter's  unhonored 
death. 

I  went  into  the  next  room  where  the  General  and 
Colonel  Harrison  were  working  over  a  map,  and  handed 
the  letter  to  the  General.  As  he  read  it  his  great, 
glorious,  gray  eyes  filled  with  tears.  Scolding  me 
for  what  I  had  done,  he  gave  the  letter  to  Colonel 
Harrison. 

"Well,"  said  the  Colonel,  as  he  returned  the  letter, 
"there  is  nothing  to  be  done  about  it,  dear  lady.  These 
miserable  wretches  have  got  to  be  shot  in  the  morning, 
and  all  your  pretty  play  —  is  pretty  play.  They  have  been 
tried  by  court  martial,  their  sentence  approved,  and  the 
General  has  nothing  on  earth  to  do  with  it,  and  can't  help 
it.  You  and  Lady  H.  not  only  look  very  much  alike, 
but  you  are  very  much  alike." 


37°  PICKET T  AND  HIS  MEN, 

"Discipline  and  the  exigencies  of  the  service  demand 
a  rigid  enforcement  of  military  laws,"  said  the  General. 

I  knew  my  General's  great,  generous  heart,  and  I  knew 
that  those  men  would  not  be  shot.  The  next  morning 
before  sunrise  the  execution  of  the  sentence  was  post 
poned.  Three  days  afterward  an  order  came  from  Rich 
mond  reprieving  all  deserters. 


CHAPTER  XLV. 

THE   PEACE   COMMISSION. —  THE  LAST  REVIEW  OF  PICKETT's 

DIVISION. 

In  spite  of  the  darkening  gloom,  the  fall  of  Fort  Fisher, 
the  evacuation  of  Tennessee  by  Hood's  army,  Sherman's 
march  to  Charleston,  danger,  starvation  and  cold,  Pick- 
ett's  men  were  hopeful  and  full  of  faith. 

All  through  the  winter  the  men  had  been  in  the 
trenches  and  the  officers  alert  to  prevent  surprise.  They 
had  small  huts  to  shelter  them  from  the  beating  storm. 
To  add  to  their  qMscomfort  fuel  was  very  scarce  and  dif 
ficult  to  secure.  They  were  dependent  upon  a  small  belt 
of  timber  between  their  own  and  the  Federal  skirmish- 
line.  It  was  necessary  that  a  guard  should  accompany 
the  party  procuring  the  wood,  in  order  to  ward  off  sur 
prise. 

Notwithstanding  all  precautions,  many  were  captured. 
One  of  the  pluckiest  and  most  venturous  of  the  wood- 
gatherers,  Adam  Thompson,  the  mascot  of  the  division, 
became  so  absorbed  that  before  he  knew  it  he  was  taken 
prisoner.  Such  an  immense  man  was  Mr.  Adam,  with 
such  an  enormous  foot,  that  special  orders  had  to  be  given 
to  the  quartermaster  for  his  shoes  and  clothes.  In  an 
nouncing  this  capture,  the  Federals  said:  "  One  milk- 
white  prisoner,  three  and  a  half  feet  across  the  back,  legs 
in  proportion,  and  each  foot  encased  in  a  side  of  sole 
leather."  Later  on,  when  exchanging  some  prisoners  cap 
tured  in  the  rifle-pits,  the  Federals  demanded  four  of  their 
mep  for  our  Mr.  Adam,  to  which  demand  we  gladly  acceded. 

371 


372  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

The  last  of  January  the  peace  commissioners  ap 
pointed  by  the  Confederate  government  to  meet  the 
representatives  of  the  Federal  government  passed 
through  the  lines  and  went  down  the  James  River. 
The  whole  army  was  full  of  hope  that  an  amicable 
adjustment  would  be  made.  Alas! 

Our  commissioners  were  Vice- President  Stephens,  As 
sistant  Secretary  of  War  Campbell,  and  R.  ]VL  T.  Hunter, 
Confederate  Senator  for  Virginia.  They  were  instructed 
to  meet  any  representative  whom  President  Lincoln 
should  select,  with  the  purpose  of  treating  for  peace  be 
tween  the  "  two  countries."  Lincoln  had  consented  to  the 
meeting  to  discuss  measures  of  restoring  peace  to  "our 
common  country."  This  discrepancy  had  not  a  tendency 
to  pave  the  way  to  a  satisfactory  conference. 

Lincoln  appointed  Seward  to  meet  the  representatives 
of  the  Confederate  government,  and  in  his  letter  of  in 
structions  said: 

You  will  make  known  to  them  that  three  things  are  indispensable,  to 
wit :  i.  The  restoration  of  the  national  authority  throughout  the  States. 
2.  No  receding  by  the  Executive  of  the  United  States  on  the  slavery 
question  from  the  position  assumed  thereon  in  the  late  annual  message 
to  Congress  and  in  preceding  documents.  3.  No  cessation  of  hostilities 
short  of  an  end  of  the  war  and  the  disbanding  of  all  forces  hostile  to  the 
government.  You  will  inform  them  that  all  propositions  of  theirs,  not 
inconsistent  with  the  above,  will  be  considered  and  passed  upon  in  a 
spirit  of  sincere  liberality.  You  will  hear  all  that  they  may  choose  to 
say  and  report  it  to  me.  You  will  not  assume  to  definitely  consummate 
anything. 

As  the  first  meeting  of  Seward  with  the  Confederate 
commissioners  was  not  successful,  Lincoln  was  induced 
by  Grant  to  go  in  person  to  meet  the  Southern  representa 
tives. 

Mr.  Stephens  set  forth  the  theory  that  secession  was 


THE  PEACE  COMMISSION.—  THE  LAST  REVIEW.      373 

the  best  remedy  for  sectional  differences.  As  this  view 
was  not  favorably  received,  he  suggested  a  union  for  the 
purpose  of  expelling  the  French  from  Mexico.  Lincoln 
and  Seward  agreed  with  him  as  to  the  undesirability  of 
the  new  Gallic  neighbors,  but  thought  the  United  States 
government  able  to  drive  them  away.  Mr.  Lincoln  would 
treat  only  on  the  basis  of  reunion  and  the  abolition  of 
slavery.  Mr.  Hunter's  report  contains  the  following: 

Mr,  Lincoln  said  that  a  politician  on  his  side  had  declared  that  four 
million  dollars  ought  to  be  given  by  way  01  compensation  to  the  slave 
holders,  and  in  this  opinion  he  expressed  his  concurrence.  Mr.  Seward 
was  impatient  and  walked  across  the  floor  and  said  that  he  thought  the 
United  States  had  done  enough  in  expending  so  much  money  on  the  war, 
and  had  suffered  enough  in  enduring  the  losses  incident  to  carrying  on 
the  war.  Mr.  Lincoln  said  that  if  it  was  wrong  in  the  South  to  hold 
slaves  it  was  wrong  in  the  North  to  carry  on  the  slave-trade  and  sell 
them  to  the  South  and  to  hold  on  to  the  money  thus  procured  if  the 
slaves  were  to  be  taken  by  them  again.  Mr.  Lincoln  said,  however,  that 
he  was  not  authorized  to  make  such  a  proposition,  nor  did  he  make  it. 

The  President  said  he  could  not  treat  with  armed  men. 
Hunter  answered  that  this  had  often  been  done,  especially 
by  Charles  I.  when  at  war  with  his  Parliament.  Lincoln 
replied  that  he  did  not  know  much  about  history;  that  he 
usually  left  that  kind  of  thing  to  Seward.  All  that  he  dis 
tinctly  recalled  about  Charles  I.  was  that  he  lost  his  head. 

Of  this  conference,  which  took  place  February  3,  1865, 
on  board  the  River  Queen,  Lincoln  thus  made  report  to 
Congress: 

On  the  morning  of  the  3d,  the  three  gentlemen,  Messrs.  Stephens, 
Hunter  and  Campbell,  came  aboard  of  our  steamer  and  had  an  interview 
with  the  Secretary  of  State  and  myself,  of  several  hours  duration.  No 
question  preliminary  to  the  meeting  was  then  and  there  made  or  men 
tioned.  No  other  person  was  present.  No  papers  were  exchanged  or  pro 
duced;  it  was  in  advance  agreed  that  the  conversation  was  to  be  informal 


374  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

and  verbal  merely.  On  our  part  the  whole  substance  of  the  instructions 
to  the  Secretary  of  State  hereinbefore  recited  was  stated  and  insisted 
upon  and  nothing  was  said  inconsistent  therewith;  while  by  the  other 
party  it  was  not  said  in  any  event  or  in  any  condition  they  ever  would 
consent  to  reunion;  and  yet  they  equally  omitted  to  declare  that  they 
never  would  so  consent.  They  seemed  to  desire  a  postponement  of  that 
question  and  the  adoption  of  some  other  course  first,  which,  as  some  of 
them  seemed  to  argue,  might  or  might  not  lead  to  reunion;  but  which 
course  we  thought  would  amount  to  an  indefinite  postponement.  The 
conference  ended  without  result. 

The  news  of  the  unsuccessful  termination  of  the  peace 
commission  soon  spread  through  the  whole  army,  and 
hope  died  in  all  hearts.  Anxious  faces  indicated  the  deep 
sorrow  with  which  the  failure  of  the  conference  was  re 
garded.  It  was  possible  that  the  leaders  might  know  of 
a  prospect  of  foreign  intervention  of  which  the  army  was 
ignorant.  Unless  this  was  true,  nothing  was  left  but  to 
fight  it  out  to  the  bitter  end. 

After  the  failure  of  the  peace  commission  was  known 
there  was  held  in  General  Pickett's  tent  a  consultation  of 
the  officers  of  his  division.  As  they  talked,  their  words 
drifted  out  to  me.  Said  one: 

"We  must  hush  all  hope  of  peace  in  our  hearts  with 
the  cry  of,  '  War  to  the  knife! '  All  skulkers  and  absentees 
must  be  driven  into  the  army.  I  believe  the  Yankees  are 
as  tired  of  war  as  we  are." 

Another  suggested:  "Why  not  free  the  negroes?  They 
would  be  as  loyal  to  us  if  we  freed  them  as  to  our  enemies, 
who  can  give  them  certainly  no  more  than  we  can,  unless  it  is 
better  rations  and  pay,  but  their  love  for  us  and  the  confi 
dence  they  have  in  us  will  more  than  counterbalance  that." 

"Certainly,"  responded  another,  "  they  are  no  dearer 
than  our  own  sons.  We  are  willing  to  sacrifice  our  sons, 
our  fathers,  and  ourselves;  why  not  our  property?  Is  our 
property  dearer  than  our  own  lives?" 


THE  PEA  CE  COMMISSION.  —  THE  LAST  RE  VIE  W.      375 

Another  said:  "I  believe  the  great  bulk  of  the  army 
is  ready  to  make  any  sacrifice  for  our  separate  existence 
as  a  people  and  the  cause  of  liberty.  As  our  forefathers 
resisted  British  tyranny,  we  must  resist  Northern  oppres 
sion." 

Said  another:  "Our  object  is,  not  the  negro,  but  in 
dependence  and  a  separate  government,  for  which  I  am 
willing  to  abolish  slavery  and  give  up  any  and  every  thing 
else." 

"With  such  patriotism  —  such  valiant  soldiery,"  said 
the  General,  "our  independence  shall  be  accomplished. 
The  North  is  turning  the  Southern  negro  into  Northern 
bonds,  and  I,  too,  believe  that  the  majority  of  the  army 
want  to  free  the  negro  and  make  him  help  us  to  work.  I 
know  that  the  majority  of  Pickett's  men  favor  it.  We 
shall  lose  everything  else  if  we  attempt  to  preserve  and 
perpetuate  slavery,  and  in  the  end,  of  course,  lose  that. 
It  should  have  been  done  in  1863." 

"Well,  at  any  rate,"  it  was  agreed,  "the  last  hope  of 
peace,  save  that  which  follows  in  the  tread  of  the  con 
queror,  is  over  for  the  South." 

The  last  winter  of  the  Confederacy  had  been  one  of 
privation,  hardship  and  painful  anxiety.  The  end  was 
drawing  near.  The  March  winds  and  gusts  of  the  pre 
vious  days  had  lulled  themselves  to  sleep,  and  March  had 
borrowed  from  her  sister  month  one  of  her  softest,  most 
beautiful  days  for  this  the  last  review,  on  this  side  of  the 
dark  waters,  of  the  grand  old  Virginia  division  of  Pickett's 
men.  I  was  on  horseback  beside  the  General,  proudly 
witnessing  this  last  review  of  his  beloved  command.  The 
order  to  march  was  handed  to  the  General  just  after  the 
first  brigade  had  passed  on. 

When  the  last  man  had  passed  in  review,  and  the  last 
salute  had  been  given  and  acknowledged,  the  order  to 


376  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.         • 

march  was  read  and  published.  There  was  not  a  man  in 
the  whole  division  who  did  not  feel  the  hopelessness  of 
prolonging  this  strife,  who  did  not  know  that  it  was  then 
but  a  mere  calculation  of  the  few  days  and  weeks  which 
would  elapse  until  the  end.  Yet,  without  a  complaint, 
these  brave  men  received  marching  orders. 

Sheridan,  the  untiring  and  unconquerable,  with  his 
ten  thousand  cavalry,  had  routed  Early  at  Waynesboro 
and  dispersed  his  little  band  of  three  thousand  men,  and 
was  on  his  way  to  Richmond,  it  was  reported,  via  Char- 
lottesville,  from  the  North,  and  the  command  was  moving 
up  to  Richmond  and  to  the  outer  line  of  intrenchments 
north  of  the  city.  Pickett  was  to  go  and  look  after  him. 

We  should  take  away  with  us  many  sacred  memories 
of  our  eventful  camp  life.  The  years  of  common  suffer 
ing,  of  sharing  each  other's  pleasures  and  bearing  each 
other's  woes,  had  bound  us  all  together  by  the  most  sacred 
and  loyal  of  ties,  till  "comrade"  seemed  to  me  a  closer, 
truer  tie  than  "brother."  The  camp  was  broken.  The 
last  review  of  Pickett's  division  was  over.  Our  baby,  the 
"  little  general,"  with  hearty  blessings,  had  been  sent  on 
ahead  with  his  faithful  mammy  two  hours  in  advance  of 
my  departure. 

I  was  waiting,  ready  to  start.  I  had  listened  to  the 
tramp  of  regiment  after  regiment  as  they  in  turn  folded 
their  tents  and  marched  away.  The  drums  of  the  rear 
guard  were  growing  fainter  and  fainter  in  the  distance,  as 
we  caught  sight  of  Lucy  with  her  silken  coat  and  limpid 
eyes  full  of  tenderness  and  fire,  and  her  slim,  clean  legs 
and  small,  unerring  feet,  as  she  skimmed  over  the  field 
with  blood  as  blue  as  that  of  her  matchless  rider.  Tom 
Friend,  one  of  the  General's  couriers,  was  riding  behind 
him.  They  were  coming  back  from  the  front  for  me. 
Bob  promptly  brought  up  my  horse  which  was  saddled 


THE  PEA  CE  COMMISSION.  —  THE  LAST  RE  VIE  W.      377 

and  waiting.  I  mounted  and  galloped  forward  to  meet 
the  General.  As  we  rode  slowly  away  he  looked  thought 
fully  and  sadly  around  him  and  sighed  a  farewell  to  tent 
and  camp  of  Hewlett  House,  Chester  and  the  lines  of 
breastworks.  This  position,  important  as  the  main  line 
of  defense  between  Richmond  and  Petersburg,  and  oppos 
ing  any  advance  by  the  Federals,  he  had  occupied  since 
the  i6th  of  May,  1864. 

Through  the  soft  lights  and  shades  and  the  perfumed 
breath  of  the  dawn  of  the  year,  we  rode  away  from  our 
first  and  last  camp,  and  on  together  to  the  old  Pickett 
home  in  Richmond,  where  the  General  was  to  leave  me 
and  rejoin  his  division.  He  said  good-by,  and  as  we 
knelt  beside  our  baby's  cradle  we  placed  each  other  in 
God's  holy  keeping. 

"Take  care  of  mamma,  my  little  man,  if  papa  should 
not  come  back.  I  leave  her  to  you,  my  dear,  dear  little 
namesake  son.  Ask  mamma  to  tell  you  what  papa  says, 
and  if  —  there,  there,"  he  said  cheerily;  "I  must  go  now. 
Smiles  —  come,  smiles  —  give  me  smiles;  no  tears,  mind," 
and  he  went  out  of  the  door  and  down  the  steps,  two  at  a 
time,  whistling  "The  Girl  I  Left  Behind  Me." 

A  little  while  later  I  heard  the  drums  beating,  and 
baby's  nurse  rushed  in  to  say: 

"Dem  sojer  troops  an'  drums  you  yeahs  a-comin'  is 
ourn.  Yas'm,  dey  is;  dey  is  we  all's  derwision-troops,  an' 
hit  certainly  is  scand'lus  de  way  dey  is  a-playin'  music  an' 
gwine  on,  an'  de  folks  —  de  folks,  dey  is  bad  ez  de  sojers,  fer 
dey  is  hollerin'  an'  cheerin'  an'  waffin'  dar  hank'chers  an' 
apuns  an'  hats  at  'em,  jis'  lak  dey  wuz  gwine  ter  a  darncin'- 
party,  bestid  er  gwine  ter  dar  def-warrants,  lak  dey  is. 
'Deed  an'  'deed,  hit's  turrible — 'deed,  'tis.  Dey  ought  ter 
be  singin'  hymns  an'  prayin'  an'  sayin'  'amen,  Lord  — 
amen!'  'Deed,  dey  ought." 


378  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.     • 

I  brushed  away  my  tears,  caught  up  my  baby,  who  had 
just  awakened,  snatched  from  the  nurse's  hand  the  bunch 
of  white  violets  which  she  said  she  had  "jes*  bruck  fum 
off'n  dem  li'le  low-growin'  bushes  what  dey  sed  Marse 
Gawge's  ma  had  plant  de  year  'fo'  she  tuck  sick  an'  die," 
and  ran  down  the  steps  to  the  gate. 

The  division  halted  as  it  drew  near.  When  its  leader 
came  to  say  good-by  I  closed  baby's  hands  over  the 
cluster  of  white  violets  and  held  it  out  to  him.  He  carried 
the  snowy  blossoms  away  with  him,  as  the  division 
marched  forward  shouting,  "Three  cheers  for  the  little 
general  and  his  mother!" 

Ten  years  later,  brown  and  withered,  with  time,  the 
tiny  cluster  of  violets  went  down  to  the  grave  with  all 
that  was  mortal  of  the  soldier  who  carried  them  in  their 
sweet  perfume  and  snowy  bloom  at  the  head  of  his  brave 
division. 


CHAPTER  XLVI. 

ON   TO    DINWIDDIE    COURT-HOUSE. 

It  is  a  heartaching  service  to  record  the  gathering 
gloom  of  the  last  days  of  the  Confederacy,  when  the 
noblest  blood  of  the  Southland  stained  the  mother  clay 
as  her  sons  uselessly  gave  up  their  lives,  gun  in  hand  and 
faces  forward,  where  their  officers  led,  the  officers  feeling, 
as  they  gave  the  order,  how  vain,  alas!  it  all  was.  To  us 
who  lived  through  the  darkness  of  those  days  there  is 
yet  a  black  shadow  falling  around  us  like  the  memory 
of  an  awful  dream. 

Poor  Confederacy!  She  had  nothing  to  oppose  to  the 
affluence  of  resources  possessed  by  the  enemy  save  the 
unconquerable  gallantry  of  her  children,  who  fought 
against  such  odds  as  had  never  before  stood  in  the  way 
of  freedom. 

When  Pickett  received  and  obeyed  the  telegram  from 
Lee,  ordering  him  to  move  to  the  right  of  Petersburg,  he 
knew,  and  his  men  knew,  that  it  was  a  forlorn  hope. 

No  cheek  blanched,  no  muscle  quivered,  as  the  order 
was  read.  There  was  no  weakening  of  their  proud  res 
olution  to  fight  the  battle  for  principle  through  sacrifice, 
however  vain,  to  the  end. 

As  I  humbly,  reverently,  record  these  last  days,  I  lov 
ingly  lay  the  immortal  laurel  of  gratitude,  prayer,  love 
and  tears  entwined  on  — 

"The  sacred  grave 
Of  these  last  men  who,  vainly  brave, 
Died  for  the  land  they  could  not  save." 

379 


380  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.   • 

Pickett  received  the  order  from  Lee  on  the  29th  day 
of  March,  1865,  at  Swift's  Creek,  where  he,  with  two  of  his 
brigades,  Corse's  and  Terry's,  were  bivouacked.  Stuart's 
brigade  was  west  of  Petersburg,  and  was  ordered  to  join 
Pickett  en  route.  Hunton's  brigade,  the  brave  old  com 
mand  at  the  head  of  which  Garnett  met  his  glorious  death 
on  the  field  of  Gettysburg,  was  with  Longstreet  on  the 
north  of  the  James  River. 

The  entire  division  had  been  ordered  to  march,  but  it 
was  found  that  there  was  transportation  for  only  three 
brigades.  In  order  to  secure  a  whole  division,  Longstreet 
suggested  drawing  Mahone  from  Bermuda  Hundred  and 
allowing  Pickett  to  replace  him,  but  Lee  preferred  a  part 
of  Pickett's  division,  and  ordered  the  three  brigades  for 
ward. 

Pickett,  in  carrying  out  the  order  of  Lee,  endeavored 
to  make  the  movement  as  stealthily  as  possible,  though  he 
knew  it  was  impossible  to  conceal  entirely  from  the 
knowledge  of  the  Federals  the  action  of  Stuart's  brigade 
near  Petersburg,  it  being  in  the  range  of  vision  from  the 
Federal  lookout-stations. 

Pickett,  with  the  brigades  of  Corse,  Terry  and  Stuart 
was  to  cross  the  Appomattox  River,  passing  Petersburg, 
where  they  were  to  take  the  cars  by  the  South-side  Rail 
road  to  Sutherland's  Station,  ten  miles  west  of  Peters 
burg,  and  to  move  thence  to  Sutherland's  Tavern  on  the 
railroad.  Fitz  Lee's  cavalry  had  already  preceded  the  in 
fantry  to  the  tavern,  and  he  had  from  that  point  com 
municated  with  Pickett  who,  with  the  three  brigades, 
reached  the  station  a  little  after  nine  o'clock  in  the 
evening. 

At  ten  o'clock  the  same  night  (the  2Qth),  R.  H.  An 
derson  sent  an  order  to  Pickett  to  come  on  with  his  three 
brigades  by  a  cross-road  to  the  White  Oak  road,  over 


ON  TO  DINWIDDIE  COURT-HOUSE.  381 

Hatcher's  Run,  and  take  a  position  to  the  right  of  Bush- 
rod  Johnson's  division,  at  the  extreme  right  of  the  Con 
federate  line. 

The  roads  and  streams  were  almost  impassable,  but 
Pickett's  indefatigable  men  without  a  murmur  moved  on 
through  the  drenching  rain,  over  the  muddy  roads,  ford 
ing  streams  and  gullies. 

Pickett,  with  his  soldierly  mien,  led  them  on,  ever  and 
anon  appearing  among  them,  his  genial,  sunny  smile  help 
ing  many  a  jaded  infantryman  to  step  out  with  a  brighter 
face  and  a  firmer  tread,  as  he  would  pass  on,  whistling 
with  his  inimitable,  beautiful  whistle,  "  Dixie,"  "The  Bon 
nie  Blue  Flag,"  "Maryland,"  "Annie  Laurie,"  "The  Girl 
I  Left  Behind  Me,"  or  some  other  familiar  air  equally 
dear  to  the  soldier's  heart.  Or,  with  a  word  of  good 
cheer,  he  would  wave  his  cap  and  go  on,  leaving  the  air 
behind  him  radiant  with  sympathy  and  affection. 

The  presence  of  the  born  leader  of  soldiers  is  as  strong 
and  uplifting  in  arduous  and  wearisome  marches  as  it  is 
inspiring  in  battle. 

About  daybreak  of  the  3Oth,  with  the  rain  still  pouring, 
Pickett  with  his  command  arrived  upon  the  White  Oak 
road  between  Dinwiddie  Court-house  and  Five  Forks,  the 
brigades  extending  for  some  distance  up  the  road. 

At  about  ten  o'clock  of  the  morning  of  the  same  day 
General  Lee  came  up  to  the  right  of  the  Confederate  line 
and  held  a  consultation  with  his  chiefs.  During  this 
council  a  prisoner  was  brought  into  camp.  He  was  a  cap 
tain  in  Sheridan's  cavalry,  and  was  captured  near  Five 
Forks.  Upon  the  examination  of  this  officer,  he  let  out 
the  information  that  the  whole  Federal  cavalry,  more  than 
fifteen  thousand  strong,  supported  by  a  heavy  infantry 
force,  was  at  or  near  Dinwiddie  Court-house. 

Lee   did   not  give  much  credence  to  the   statements 


382  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

of  the  Federal  captain,  nor  did  Heth,  who  was  one  of  the 
chiefs  mentioned  as  being  in  consultation  with  him,  but 
just  about  this  time  a  message  came  from  Fitz  Lee,  stat 
ing  that  the  enemy's  cavalry  were  in  great  force  at  Five 
Forks,  and  had  driven  in  all  of  his  pickets. 

Upon  this  information,  Lee  at  once  sent  orders  to  Fitz 
Lee  to  take  command  of  the  whole  cavalry,  his  own  divi 
sion,  the  division  of  W.  H.  F.  Lee,  and  a  part  of  Rosser's 
division,  and  make  an  attack  upon  the  cavalry  force  at 
Five  Forks. 

At  noon  on  the  same  day  Lee  ordered  Pickett  to  move 
on  to  Five  Forks  with  his  small  force  of  artillery  and  in 
fantry,  consisting  of  his  own  three  brigades,  Matt  Ran 
som's  and  Wallace's  brigades  (both  together  not  equal  to 
a  full  brigade),  and  six  rifled  pieces  of  artillery  under 
Colonel  Pegram,  and  take  command  of  the  whole  force. 

The  main  object  of  the  attack  was  to  break  the  Federal 
left.  The  proposed  plan  to  further  that  end  was  that  Pick 
ett  should  press  down  upon  Dinwiddie  Court-house,  and  as 
far  down  upon  the  front  as  possible,  and  that  R.  H.  Ander 
son  should  at  the  same  time  make  an  attack  in  front. 

The  Federal  cavalry  was  in  strong  force  between  the 
right  of  the  Confederate  line  and  Five  Forks,  and  Pick- 
ett's  men,  being  compelled  to  drive  the  Federals  out  of 
their  way  the  entire  distance,  the  skirmishing  in  their 
front  and  flank  being  continuous,  they  could  not  of  course 
make  much  of  a  record  as  to  speed. 

After  eighteen  hours  of  continuous  marching  through 
the  discomforts  of  rain,  slush  and  hunger,  and  the  dan 
gers  of  shot,  shell  and  saber,  Pickett  reached  Five  Forks. 
There  had  already  been  a  sharp  skirmish  at  this  point  be 
tween  the  two  cavalry  forces.  Immediately  on  Pickett's 
arrival  he  threw  out  two  regiments  of  infantry,  and  the 
Federal  cavalry  was  soon  driven  in. 


ON  TO  DINWIDDIE  COURT-HOUSE.  383 

It  was  Pickett's  intention  to  push  on  to  Dinwiddie 
Court-house,  but,  after  consultation  with  Fitz  Lee,  the 
other  cavalry  not  as  yet  having  joined  him,  the  night  be 
ing  dark  and  rainy,  and  his  own  men  tired  and  worn  out, 
it  was  decided  that  he  should  stop. 

In  order  to  keep  the  Federals  at  a  respectful  distance 
during  the  night,  Pickett  threw  out  two  of  his  brigades  on 
the  Court-house  road.  Corse  and  Terry  advanced  almost 
a  mile,  driving  the  Federal  cavalry  before  them ;  though,  be 
ing  dismounted  and  armed  with  the  repeating  rifle,  the 
troopers  made  a  vigorous  fight.  The  strength  of  the 
enemy  was  beyond  conjecture. 

On  the  morning  of  the  3ist,  Lee  led  McGowan's, 
Gracie's,  Hunton's  and  Wise's  brigades  against  the  Fed 
eral  Fifth  Corps,  commanded  by  Warren,  which  was  posted 
between  Pickett's  command  and  the  Confederate  forti 
fications.  Warren  was  driven  back  behind  Gravelly  Run. 

Pickett  placed  W.  H.  F.  Lee's  and  Rosser's  cavalry 
on  the  right,  followed  by  the  infantry  and  artillery.  Fitz 
Lee's  division,  commanded  by  Thomas  T.  Mumford,  was 
at  the  left.  W.  H.  F.  Lee's  cavalry  preceded  the  infantry 
column  on  the  direct  road  to  a  crossing  at  Chamberlayne's 
Creek,  and  Mumford  moved  by  an  immediate  road  in  the 
same  direction. 

At  the  fork  of  Chamberlayne's  Creek,  W.  H.  F.  Lee 
made  one  of  the  most  brilliant  and  severe  cavalry  fights  of 
the  war,  forcing  a  crossing  immediately  in  face  of  a  superior 
force  of  the  Federal  troops,  who  had  all  the  advantages  of 
position,  with  a  stream  of  water  in  front.  The  infantry 
were  unable  to  cross  at  this  point,  and  sought  a  passage 
lower  down,  Terry's  brigade  leading.  It  suffered  serious 
loss  in  the  passage,  though  it  made  a  brilliant  dash  across 
the  creek  and  killed  and  captured  about  a  hundred  of  the 
enemy,  driving  their  forces  back  to  Dinwiddie  Court-house. 


384  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.    * 

The  loss  of  the  Confederates  was  chiefly  confined  to 
W.  H.  F.  Lee's  cavalry  and  Terry's  and  Corse's  brigades. 
Many  valuable  officers  were  killed. 

Although  the  Fifth  Corps  had  suffered  great  loss,  it 
rallied  and  charged  against  Lee's  brigades,  but  was  again 
forced  back  to  White  Oak  road  and  then  to  the  fortifica 
tions. 

The  darkness  of  night  fell  over  the  Confederates  with 
in  but  half  a  mile  of  Dinwiddie  Court-house.  Had  some 
good  Southern  Joshua  been  there  to  stop  the  sun  in  its 
course  for  even  one  little  half-hour  the  court-house  would 
have  been  ours. 

The  Federals  were  being  strongly  reinforced  with  in 
fantry,  Grant,  in  response  to  Sheridan's  request,  having 
ordered  up  the  Fifth  Corps  under  Warren,  numbering 
fifteen  thousand.  The  whole  of  Sheridan's  and  Kautz's 
cavalry  were  in  front,  MacKenzie's  division,  sixteen  thou 
sand  strong,  having  been  sent  forward. 

When  the  battle  was  over  Pickett  sent  a  courier  to  Lee, 
who  was  on  the  lines  at  Petersburg,  telling  him  of  the  suc 
cess  of  the  day,  but  stating  that  he  had  just  ascertained, 
through  his  scouts,  the  certainty  of  the  heavy  infantry 
support  to  Sheridan's  cavalry  at  Dinwiddie  Court-house, 
and  that  he  had  no  option  but  to  withdraw  with  his  small 
force.  This  he  proposed  to  do  under  cover  of  the  night. 
Further  assurance  of  the  truth  of  this  report  proved  to 
Pickett  that  his  decision  was  a  judicious  one.  He  ac 
cordingly  left  the  front  of  Dinwiddie  Court-house  at  two 
o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  1st  day  of  April,  and 
started  back  toward  Five  Forks. 

Thus  ended  another  scene  in  the  fifth  act  of  the  tragedy 
on  which  the  dark  curtain  was  so  soon  to  fall. 


CHAPTER   XLVII. 

FIVE    FORKS. 

For  nearly  two  years  after  the  fatal  battle  of  Gettys 
burg  the  war  had  drawn  its  slow  length  along  with  vary 
ing  fortunes,  and  now  the  end  had  almost  come.  Im 
penetrable  gloom  had  closed  around  the  Confederacy,  and 
its  shadow  fell  heavily  over  those  who  for  four  years  had 
so  heroically  borne  the  heartbreak  of  ineffectual  struggle. 

In  February,  1865,  President  Davis  relinquished  his 
military  authority,  and  General  R.  E.  Lee  became  gen- 
eral-in-chief  of  the  Confederate  armies.  All  communi 
cation  with  foreign  powers  was  closed,  and  no  more  hope 
of  assistance  remained. 

Lee's  object  was  to  reach  the  mountainous  regions  of 
Virginia  and  North  Carolina  and  join  Johnston's  forces, 
while  Grant's  policy  was  to  prevent  the  juncture. 

On  the  last  of  March  Lee's  army  of  less  than  forty 
thousand  was  stretched  until  its  extreme  right  rested  on 
Five  Forks,  fifteen  miles  southwest  of  Petersburg,  a  situ 
ation  which  justified  Lee's  reflection  on  the  2d  of  April, 
when  the  line  had  been  penetrated  by  the  Federal  Sixth 
Corps,  and  the  gallant  A.  P.  Hill  lay  dead  on  the  field  near 
Petersburg:  "It  has  happened  as  I  told  them  at  Rich 
mond  it  would  happen.  The  line  has  been  stretched  until 
it  has  broken." 

During  the  long  struggle  of  the  South  for  nationality, 
no  more  desperate  and  heroic  action  occurred  than  took 
place  at  Five  Forks  on  April  I,  1865. 

When   Federal  reinforcements  were  sent  to  Sheridan 

25  385 


386  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

at  Dinwiddie  Court-house  the  intention  of  Grant  was  that 
the  Fifth  Corps,  fifteen  thousand  strong,  should  attack 
Pickett's  left  and  cut  off  retreat. 

Grant  was  general-in-chief  of  the  United  States  Army, 
and  his  power  was  exceedingly  great,  but  he  could  not 
control  the  elements.  The  rain  fell  heavily  on  the  night 
of  the  3ist,  and  the  Fifth  Corps,  toiling  over  the  difficult 
road,  found  no  enemy  awaiting  it  at  the  end  of  its  weari 
some  journey. 

Pickett,  having  notice  of  the  projected  attack,  changed 
his  orders  for  battle,  and  withdrew  to  Five  Forks,  which  he 
reached  early  in  the  morning  of  April  i,  followed  by  Sheri 
dan's  troops.  The  movement  was  made  in  perfect  order 
and  as  discreetly  and  quietly  as  possible.  They  brought 
all  their  wounded  off  the  field  and  buried  all  their  dead. 

After  a  fatiguing  march  over  roads  and  streams  almost 
impassable  because  of  the  heavy  rains,  Five  Forks  was 
reached,  where,  having  a  few  hours  the  start  of  Sheridan, 
Pickett  halted  to  rest,  but  almost  immediately  upon  his 
arrival  he  received  a  message  from  Lee,  in  response  to  one 
sent  by  Pickett  the  preceding  day,  saying: 

Hold  Five  Forks  at  all  hazards.  Protect  road  to  Ford's  Depot 
and  prevent  Union  forces  from  striking  the  South-side  Railroad.  Re 
gret  exceedingly  your  forced  withdrawal,  and  your  inability  to  hold  the 
advantage  you  had  gained.  R.  E.  LEE. 

Five  Forks,  the  point  which  Lee  ordered  Pickett  to 
"hold  at  all  hazards,"  is  simply  a  crossing  at  right  angles 
of  two  country  roads  and  the  deflecting  of  a  third  road 
bisecting  one  of  these  angles.  It  is  situated  in  a  low,  flat 
country,  and  has  no  natural  points  of  defense.  Its  only 
fortification  was  a  hastily  constructed  breastwork. 

The  place  was  absolutely  not  capable  of  being  pro 
tected  except  by  a  very  large  body  of  troops,  and  the 


FIVE  FORKS.  387 

small  force  directed  to  hold  it  could  easily  have  been 
turned  on  the  right  or  left  and  isolated  from  the  main 
army  at  Petersburg.  It  was,  therefore,  a  most  unfortu 
nate  selection  of  a  field  on  which  to  meet  a  superior  force, 
and  yet  six  thousand  men  —  infantry,  cavalry  and  artillery, 
all  told  —  were  stationed  here  to  hold  the  ground  against 
an  attack  by  thirty-five  thousand  troops,  supported  by 
heavy  artillery.  The  task  was  impossible  of  achievement, 
but  the  effort  was,  nevertheless,  most  bravely  made. 

Where  nature  supports  a  small  force  of  men  the  com 
bination  may  prove  invincible,  even  to  an  army  much  su 
perior  in  numbers.  She  throws  up  impregnable  defenses, 
erects  stone  walls  and  creates  caves  of  darkness  for  the 
protection  of  her  chosen  few.  On  a  straight,  wide  plain 
nature  stands  aside  and  views  the  antagonists  with  im 
partial  eye,  while  Mars  radiantly  smiles  upon  the  largest 
army  and  the  heaviest  guns. 

Pickett  had  all  his  trains  parked  in  rear  of  Hatcher's 
Run,  and  would  have  greatly  preferred  to  hold  his  posi 
tion  at  that  point.  He  inferred,  however,  from  Lee's 
selection  of  Five  Forks  and  his  positive  order  to  hold  it 
"at  all  hazards,"  that  he,  of  course,  intended  to  send  to 
him  at  once  a  strong  reinforcement. 

Immediately,  therefore,  upon  the  receipt  of  Lee's  per 
emptory  order  to  "hold  Five  Forks"  Pickett  formed  his 
line  of  battle  on  the  White  Oak  road,  at  right  angles  and 
across  the  Ford  road  which  intersects  the  South-side 
Railroad,  and  set  his  men  to  throwing  up  breastworks. 
They  dug  a  ditch,  felled  pine-trees,  and  threw  the 
earth  up  behind  the  felled  logs,  and  though  they  knew 
the  holding  of  Five  Forks  would  be  hazardous,  cheerfully 
worked  and  waited.  It  was  nine  o'clock  on  Saturday 
morning,  when  the  line  was  formed.  The  number  and 
disposition  of  the  Confederate  force  was  as  follows: 


388  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

Matt  Ransom's  and  Wallace's  brigades,  acting  as  one, 
and,  combined,  not  numbering  over  eight  hundred  men, 
were  on  the  left.  Stuart's  brigade,  amounting  to  about  one 
thousand,  was  next  on  the  right,  and  extended  to  the  forks 
of  the  roads.  Then  came  Corse's  brigade,  one  thousand 
strong,  and  then  Terry's,  eight  hundred  strong,  support 
ing  Corse's  on  the  right  of  the  line.  The  six  rifled  pieces 
of  artillery  were  placed  along  the  line  at  wide  intervals. 

Fitz  Lee's  cavalry  was  ordered  into  position  on  the  left 
flank;  W.  H.  F.  Lee's  on  the  right  flank;  McCausland's 
and  Bearing's  cavalry  were  all  of  Rosser's  division  that 
were  present,  though  they  did  fine  service.  The  cavalry 
numbered  in  all  about  twenty-five  hundred  men.  Thus 
cavalry,  infantry  and  artillery  amounted  to  not  over  six 
thousand  men,  to  meet  Sheridan's  cavalry,  numbering  in 
itself  more  than  five  times  that  of  Pickett's  whole  com 
mand.  In  addition  to  Sheridan's  own  force,  he  was  sup 
ported  by  Warren's  infantry  corps. 

As  soon  as  the  Confederates  were  in  position  they  be 
gan  cutting  down  trees,  piling  up  logs,  digging  trenches 
and  erecting  obstructions.  Their  work  was  interrupted 
only  when  they  were  compelled  to  seize  their  guns  to  re 
pel  an  attack.  Three  times  the  labor  was  thus  suspended, 
the  Federals  having  begun  the  attack  upon  the  front  as 
soon  as  the  line  was  formed.  Having  repelled  the  foe, 
they  would  immediately  return  to  their  work,  which  they 
enlivened  by  singing  "My  Maryland,"  "Dixie,"  and 
"Bonnie  Blue  Flag." 

The  hurried  work  of  three  hours  of  these  hungry, 
march-fatigued  veterans,  a  shallow  ditch,  a  few  loose,  dirt- 
covered  pine  logs  were  their  only  line  of  breastworks,  and 
yet  these  devoted  men  were  ready  to  "  do  or  die." 

About  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  a  general  advance 
and  attack  began  along  the  whole  front  and  on  the  right 


FIVE  FORKS.  389 

flank,  which  was  quickly  repulsed  with  considerable  loss 
to  the  enemy.  Pickett  had  a  short  time  before  ridden  to 
the  north  side  of  Hatcher's  Run  and,  hearing  the  sound 
of  battle,  he  galloped  through  a  rain  of  fire  and  balls  from 
Crawford's  troops  on  the  Ford  road. 

Soon  after  he  reached  his  command  Colonel  Pegram 
of  the  artillery  was  mortally  wounded,  and  fell  near  where 
the  General  was  standing  reforming  his  line.  Pegram 
was  shot  from  his  horse  by  a  sharpshooter  just  after  the 
charge  had  been  repulsed,  and  fell  in  rear  of  two  of  his 
guns. 

A  few  minutes  after  this  attack  a  terrific  fire  of  mus 
ketry  to  the  left  and  rear  was  heard.  The  apprehension 
of  Pickett's  troops  that  the  left  wing  had  been  turned  and 
doubled  back  and  that  they  would  be  taken  in  reverse 
proved  unhappily  true.  Warren's  corps  had  swept  around 
to  the  left  flank,  while  Sheridan's  cavalry,  mounted  and 
dismounted,  was  engaging  the  front  and  right.  Warren 
forced  Ransom  and  Wallace  back  and  doubled  them  on 
Stuart's  brigade  of  Pickett's  division. 

Hunton's  brigade  was  withdrawn  from  the  front, 
moved  double-quick  to  the  left  and  thrown  forward  to 
meet  the  attacking  column,  Pickett  leading,  cheering  on 
the  men,  waving  the  Confederate  battle-flag.  He  dashed 
up  to  Colonel  Floweree,  whose  regiment  was  on  the  left. 
Informing  him  of  the  situation  of  affairs,  he  said: 

"I  depend  upon  your  regiment  to  save  the  day.  You 
will  have  to  grapple  with  twice  your  number,  but  I  know 
I  can  depend  upon  you." 

Colonel  Floweree,  was  a  fearless,  gallant,  determined 
soldier,  and  a  jovial,  jolly  fellow. 

"I  shall  follow  the  moon,  Marse  George  [meaning 
he  should  go  westward],  and  we'll  save  the  day,  if  our 
last  man  has  to  bite  his  daddy's  dust.  Your  boys  are  all 


39°  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

too  gallant  and  deferential  to  bite  the  dust  of  their  mammy, 
you  know,  Marse  George." 

The  General  smiled  and  rode  on.  He  crossed  the 
road  to  higher  ground  within  forty  paces  of  where  the 
enemy's  columns  were  massed,  whence  came  showers 
of  bullets  falling  around  him,  but  his  life  seemed  a 
charmed  one. 

The  men  were  dropping  at  every  volley,  and  the  order 
to  retreat  was  repeated  three  times,  but  his  "boys"  re 
fused  to  move  till  their  General  should  come,  and  then 
they  retreated  at  double-quick  and  in  good  order. 

"  Follow  the  moon!"  called  out  Colonel  Floweree. 

Death  or  prison  was  their  choice.  Many  chose  the 
former.  Pickett,  Terry,  Corse,  Stuart  and  Ransom  were 
across  the  road  calling  on  the  men  to  get  into  line  to  meet 
the  next  onslaught. 

A  part  of  the  famous  Glee  Club,  with  Gentry  leading, 
were  singing,  "  Rally  'round  the  flag,  boys,  rally  once 
again."  Near  them  was  the  ensign  of  the  First  Virginia 
Regiment  with  his  colors  and  guard,  cheering  and  sing 
ing.  As  they  sang  Pickett  rode  up,  still  waving  the 
battle-flag  which  he  had  taken  from  the  hand  of  a  fallen 
color-bearer,  and  his  deep  voice  joined  with  theirs  in  the 
rallying-song. 

There  were  very  few  to  rally  around  that  battle-flag, 
stained  crimson  with  the  noblest  blood  of  the  South, 
sacred  to  a  cause  for  which  many  a  brave  man  had  died, 
and  many  another  had  offered  his  life,  willing  to  fall 
rather  than  see  that  banner  suffer  dishonor.  Very  few 
they  were,  compared  with  the  host  arrayed  against  them, 
but  their  voices  rang  out  boldly  and  the  notes  of  their 
battle-song  echoed  and  re-echoed  from  the  forest. 

At  this  time  the  Confederates  were  just  four  hundred 
yards  in  rear  of  Five  Forks,  and  though  the  Federals  hail 


FIVE  FORKS.  391 


captured  many  prisoners,  principally  from  Ransom's, 
lace's  and  Stuart's  brigades,  they  had  gained  but  little 
ground.  Pegram's  men  stood  with  their  horses,  ready  to 
return  to  their  guns  as  soon  as  the  opportunity  should 
present. 

The  Federals  charged  upon  the  front  and  right,  straight 
through  the  open  field  to  the  woods  in  which  the  Confed 
erate  line  was  formed.  A  heavy  force  was  thrown  around 
the  right  and  left,  the  Federal  cavalry  poured  down  on  the 
right  and  rear.  Pickett's  men  were  entrapped,  held  as  in 
a  vise  by  the  cavalry,  with  a  line  of  infantry  in  the  rear, 
a  deadly  fire  from  all  sides. 

They  formed  in  front,  north  and  south,  and  met  with 
desperate  valor  this  double  onset.  Cut  to  pieces,  de 
feated,  captured,  all  that  were  left  of  them  still  pressed 
on  in  sullen  determination. 

The  closest  fighting  of  the  war  was  done  here.  So  near 
together  were  the  opponents  that  they  clubbed  each  other 
with  their  muskets.  Again  and  again  the  heroic  little 
band  rallied  "  'round  the  flag,"  fighting  on  this  ground, 
unknown  to  them,  until  darkness  fell  so  heavily  that  the}r 
knew  not  friend  from  foe. 

Never  were  troops  more  hardly  pressed,  never  did 
troops  fight  more  gallantly.  Surrounded  by  a  force  which 
outnumbered  them  more  than  five  to  one,  with  no  de 
fenses,  no  fortifications,  starving,  famishing,  they  simply 
yielded  to  overwhelming  numbers  and  could  have  been  cap 
tured  by  Warren  and  Sheridan  any  time  after  two  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon.  They  would  probably  all  have  been  de 
stroyed  on  the  retreat  but  for  the  brave  stand  of  Corse's 
brigade  and  the  gallantry  of  W.  H.  F.  Lee's  cavalry,  who 
held  the  Federal  troopers  until  the  woodland  was  reached. 

As  the  General  rode  off  the  field  he  saw  a  band  of  sol 
diers  who  had  paused  and  seemed  to  be  drawing  toward 


392  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.    ' 

themselves  the  fire  of  the  enemy.  He  did  not  know  why 
they  did  this.  He  learned  later  that  the  devoted  little 
group  were  offering  their  lives  to  save  him. 

There  were  but  few  to  leave  the  field.  The  many 
stayed  behind,  lying  in  heaped-up  masses  on  that  ground 
which  they  had  so  heroically  defended.  Night  reverently 
covered  them  with  her  dark  shroud  and  her  tears  fell 
softly  on  their  still,  white  faces.  The  stars  crept  out  one 
by  one  in  the  deep,  wide  waste  of  sky  and  kept  solemn 
vigil  over  the  dead. 

General  Longstreet  says: 

The  position  was  not  of  General  Pickett's  choosing,  but  of  his 
orders;  and  from  his  orders  he  assumed  that  he  would  be  reinforced. 
His  execution  was  all  that  a  skilful  commander  could  apply.  He  re 
ported  as  to  his  position  and  the  movements  of  the  enemy  threatening  to 
cut  off  his  command  from  the  army,  but  no  force  came  to  guard  his  right. 
The  reinforcements  joined  him  after  night,  when  his  battle  had  been 
lost  and  his  command  disorganized.  The  cavalry  of  his  left  was  in  neg 
lect  in  failing  to  report  the  advance  of  the  enemy,  but  that  was  not  for 
want  of  proper  orders  from  his  headquarters.  Though  taken  by  sur 
prise,  there  was  no  panic  in  any  part  of  the  command;  brigade  after  bri 
gade  changed  front  to  the  left  and  received  the  overwhelming  battle  as  it 
rolled  on,  and  was  crushed  back  to  the  next,  before  it  could  deploy  out  to 
aid  the  front,  or  flank  attack,  until  the  last  right  brigade  of  the  brave 
Corse  changed  and  stood  alone  on  the  left  of  W.  H.  F.  Lee's  cavalry, 
fronting  at  right  angle  against  the  enemy's  cavalry  columns. 

It  is  not  claiming  too  much  for  that  grand  division  to  say  that,  aided 
by  the  brigades  of  Ransom  and  Wallace,  they  could  not  have  been  dis 
lodged  from  their  intrenched  position  by  parallel  battle  even  by  the 
great  odds  against  them.  As  it  was,  Ayres's  division  staggered  under  the 
pelting  blows  that  it  met,  and  Crawford's  drifted  off  from  the  blows 
against  it,  until  it  thus  found  the  key  of  the  battle  away  beyond  the  Con 
federate  limits. 

In  generalship  Pickett  was  not  a  bit  below  the  "gay  rider"  [Sheri 
dan].  His  defensive  battle  was  better  organized,  and  it  is  possible  that 
he  would  have  gained  the  day  if  his  cavalry  had  been  diligent  in  giving 
information  of  the  movements  of  the  enemy. 


FIVE  FORKS.  393 

After  the  surrender  of  Appomattox  Court-house,  Gen 
eral  Pickett  received  the  following  letter: 

HEADQUARTERS  ARMY  OF  NORTHERN  VIRGINIA, 

April  10,  1865. 

GENERAL:  General  Lee  wishes  you  to  make  at  once  a  short  report 
of  the  operations  of  your  command  from  the  time  of  the  recent  attack  of 
the  enemy  near  Petersburg  to  the  present.  He  desires  you  also  to  call 
upon  the  commanders  of  the  divisions  which  were  assigned  to  you  since 
the  recent  operations  commenced,  for  reports  embracing  their  opera 
tions  between  the  time  of  the  attack  above  referred  to  and  the  time  of 
their  assignment  to  your  command. 

He  wishes  to  have  these  before  the  army  is  dispersed,  that  he  may 
have  some  data  on  which  to  base  his  own  report. 
Very  respectfully  your  obedient  servant, 

(Signed)  W.  H.  TAYLOR,  Assistant  Adjutant-General. 

Official:     LATROBE,  A.  A.-G. 
MAJOR-GENERAL  G.  E.  PICKETT,  Commanding. 

In  response  to  this  request,  General  Pickett  sent  the 
following  statement: 

COLONEL:  I  have  the  honor  to  report  that  on  the  2pth  of  March,  a  tele 
gram  from  headquarters  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  was  received  at 
my  headquarters  at  Swift  Creek,  ordering  me  to  proceed  with  two  brigades 
at  that  point  (Corse's  and  Terry's),  to  cross  the  Appomattox  and  take  the 
cars  on  the  South-side  Railroad  for  Sutherland's  Station,  Stuart's  brigade, 
then  in  position  in  front  of  Petersburg,  to  join  me  en  route.  Hunton  's  bri 
gade  was  at  this  time  on  the  north  side  of  the  James.  Accordingly  the  col 
umn  was  put  in  motion,  the  three  brigades  reaching  Sutherland's  about 
nine  o'clock  in  the  evening.  Shortly  afterward  came  an  order  from 
Lieutenant-General  Anderson,  to  come  on  to  the  White  Oak  road  and 
take  position  on  the  right  of  Major-General  Bushrod  Johnson's  division. 
This  was  done  by  daybreak,  through  a  drenching  rain,  the  three  bri 
gades  extending  some  distance  up  the  road.  The  commander-in-chief, 
about  twelve  in  the  day,  ordered  me  to  move  on  with  my  three  brigades, 
and  two  brigades  under  command  of  Brigadier-General  M.  Ransom  (his 
own  and  Wallace's),  and  a  battery  of  artillery  under  Colonel  Pegram,  to 
the  Five  Forks.  Here  Major-General  Fitz  Lee  was  with  his  division  of 
cavalry,  and  Major-Generals  W.  H.  F.  Lee  and  Rosser  were  to  join 


394  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.     ' 

him  with  their  divisions.  The  march  was  necessarily  slow,  on  account 
of  the  continual  skirmishing,  front  and  flank,  with  the  Federal  cavalry. 
They  at  one  time  charged  in  on  the  wagon-train,  but  were  repulsed  by 
Ransom.  In  front  we  had  to  drive  them  out  of  the  way  nearly  the  whole 
distance  until  we  joined  Fitz  Lee  at  the  Five  Forks  about  sunset.  I 
learned  then  that  part  of  the  ordnance-train  had  been  turned  back,  it 
was  said,  by  orders  from  the  commander-in-chief.  General  Ransom  had 
his  ordnance-wagons,  and  on  these  we  had  to  depend  for  supplying  the 
whole  command  in  the  engagements  which  followed.  I  was  about  to 
push  on  toward  Dinwiddie  Court-house,  when,  upon  consultation  with 
General  Fitz  Lee  (the  other  cavalry  not  having  joined  him,  and  it  being 
nearly  dark,  and  the  men  much  in  need  of  rest  from  an  almost  con 
tinuous  march  of  eighteen  hours),  I  determined  to  throiv  out  merely  a 
couple  of  brigades,  on  the  Court-house  road,  so  as  to  keep  the  enemy  at 
a  respectful  distance  during  the  night.  This  was  done,  Corse  and  Terry 
advancing  some  three-quarters  of  a  mile,  driving  the  Federal  cavalry, 
\vho,  however,  being  dismounted  and  armed  with  the  repeating  rifle, 
made  a  vigorous  fight.  It  rained  throughout  the  night,  and  up  to  about 
twelve  the  next  day.  General  Fitz  Lee's  scouts  and  guides  could  not 
ascertain  exactly  the  opposing  strength,  but,  from  the  prisoners  taken 
up  to  this  time,  I  knew  we  had  no  infantry  in  our  front.  We  discovered 
at  daylight,  that  the  enemy  were  quite  strongly  posted  in  a  good  position 
on  the  Court-house  road.  The  rest  of  the  cavalry  having  gotten  up  about 
ten  o'clock  in  the  morning,  I  determined  to  push  on  along  a  road  still 
further  to  the  right,  cross  the  stream  higher  up  with  General  W.  H.  F. 
Lee's  and  Rosser's  cavalry,  and  the  infantry,  leaving  Fitz  Lee's  division 
to  come  up  the  direct  road  toward  the  Court-house,  as  we  advanced  on 
the  right.  The  rain  had  greatly  swollen  the  streams,  which  was  the 
chief  reason  for  the  delay  of  the  cavalry.  General  W.  H.  F.  Lee,  with 
his  division,  very  gallantly  charged  over  the  creek,  but  the  enemy  were 
too  strong  to  be  repulsed.  The  infantry,  consequently,  were  not  able  to 
cross  at  that  point  and  (the  stream  not  being  fordable)  were  compelled  to 
draw  back.  I  pushed  the  infantry  across  lower  down,  Terry's  brigade 
leading,  Colonel  Mayo  with  the  Third  Virginia  in  advance.  This  regi 
ment  suffered  a  good  deal,  but  the  men  gallantly  dashed  over  the  creek 
and  swamp,  killing  and  capturing,  after  a  sharp  engagement,  about  a 
hundred.  Our  whole  force  then  moved  on.  Our  adversary,  meanwhile 
strongly  reinforced,  made  a  determined  resistance,  and  it  was  dark  when 
we  arrived  within  half  a  mile  of  the  Court-house.  W.  H.  F.  Lee's  cav 
alry  had  crossed  at  the  same  point  and  Fitz  Lee's  division  had  come  up 
on  the  left. 


FIVE  FORKS.  395 

This  engagement  was  quite  a  spirited  one,  the  men  and  officers  be 
having  most  admirably.  Our  loss  was  principally  confined  to  W.  H.  F. 
Lee's  cavalry  and  Terry's  and  Corse's  brigades,  among  them  many  valu 
able  officers.  The  Federals  suffered  heavy  loss;  half  an  hour  more  of 
daylight  and  we  would  have  reached  the  Court-house.  As  it  was,  some 
prisoners  were  taken  belonging  to  the  Fifth  Corps  (Warren 's) 

The  fact  being  thus  developed  that  our  opponents  were  reinforcing 
with  infantry,  and  knowing  the  whole  of  Sheridan's  and  Kautz's  cavalry 
were  in  our  front,  I  was  induced  to  fall  back  at  daylight  in  the  morning 
to  the  Five  Forks,  which  I  was  directed-  by  telegram  from  the  com- 
mander-in-chief  to  hold,  so  as  to  protect  the  road  to  Ford's  Depot. 
This  movement  was  made  in  perfect  order,  bringing  off  all  our  wounded 
and  burying  all  our  dead.  The  enemy  was,  however,  pressing  upon  our 
rear  in  force.  I  had  all  trains  parked  in  rear  of  Hatcher's  Run  and 
would  have  preferred  that  position,  but  from  the  telegram  referred  to,  I 
supposed  the  commanding  general  intended  sending  up  reinforcements. 
I  had,  in  the  meantime,  reported  by  telegram,  and  informed  the  general 
commanding  of  the  state  of  affairs,  that  the  enemy  was  trying  to  get  in 
between  the  main  army  and  my  command,  and  asking  that  diversion  be 
made  or  I  should  be  isolated.  This  evidently  was  intended,  as  Hunton's 
brigade  did  come  up  to  Sutherland's,  but  not  till  after  dark.  The  best 
arrangements  were  made  of  which  the  nature  of  the  ground  admitted; 
W.  H.  F.  Lee's  cavalry  on  the  right,  then  Corse,  Terry,  Stuart,  Ran 
som  and  Wallace.  General  Fitz  Lee  was  ordered  to  cover  the  ground 
between  Wallace's  left  and  the  creek,  with  his  cavalry  dismounted.  The 
Federals  pushed  up  steadily  from  the  Court-house  and  commenced  ex 
tending  to  our  left.  General  Ransom  moved  still  further  to  the  left,  and  I 
extended  Stuart's  brigade  so  as  to  cover  his  ground.  General  Ran 
som  sent  word  to  me  that  the  cavalry  were  not  in  position.  General 
Fitz  Lee  was  again  ordered  to  cover  the  ground  at  once,  and  I  supposed 
it  had  been  done,  when  suddenly  the  enemy  in  heavy  infantry  column 
appeared  on  our  left  front,  and  the  attack  which  had,  up  to  that  time, 
been  confined  principally  to  our  front  toward  the  Court-house  now  be 
came  general.  Charge  after  charge  was  repulsed;  but  the  Federals  still 
kept  pouring  up  division  after  division,  and  pressing  round  our  left. 
General  Ransom,  perceiving  this,  took  his  brigade  from  behind  his  tem 
porary  breastworks  and  boldly  charged  the  heavy  column,  effecting 
great  havoc  and  temporarily  checking  its  movement.  His  horse  was 
killed,  he  falling  under  him,  and  his  assistant  adjutant-general,  the 
brave  but  unfortunate  Captain  Gee,  was  killed.  The  few  cavalry, 
however,  which  had  taken  position,  gave  way,  and  the  assailants  came 


396  PICKETT  AND  HIS  ME  if. 

pouring  in  on  Wallace's  left,  causing  his  men  to  fall  back.  Pegram  had 
been  mortally  wounded,  the  captain  of  the  battery  killed,  and  many  of 
the  men  killed  and  wounded.  I  succeeded,  nevertheless,  in  getting  a 
sergeant,  with  men  enough  for  one  piece,  put  in  position  on  the  left, 
and  fired  some  eight  rounds  into  the  head  of  the  Federal  column,  when 
the  axle  broke,  disabling  the  piece.  I  almost  immediately  withdrew 
Terry's  brigade  from  its  position,  and  threw  it  on  the  left  flank, 
charging  over  Wallace's  men  and  forcing  them  back  to  their  position. 
Even  then,  with  all  the  odds  against  us,  we  might  have  held  till  night, 
which  was  fast  approaching,  but  the  ammunition  was  rapidly  failing. 
Colonel  Floweree's  regiment,  after  their  cartridges  were  expended, 
fought  hand  to  hand,  but  it  was  of  no  avail,  and,  although  the  Federal 
dead  lay  in  heaps,  we  were  obliged  to  give  way,  our  left  being  com 
pletely  turned.  Wallace's  brigade  again  broke,  though  some  of  its  offi 
cers  behaved  most  gallantly  and  used  their  utmost  exertions  to  reform 
it,  but  in  vain!  Everything  assumed  the  appearance  of  a  panic,  when, 
by  dint  of  great  personal  exertion  on  the  part  of  my  staff,  together  with 
the  general  officers  and  their  staff-officers,  we  compelled  a  rally  and 
stand  on  Corse's  brigade,  which  was  still  in  perfect  order  and  had 
repelled,  as  had  W.  H.  F.  Lee's  cavalry,  every  assault. 

One  of  the  most  brilliant  cavalry  engagements  of  the  war  took  place 
on  this  part  of  the  field,  near  Mrs.  Gilliam's  residence.  Here  the  Fed 
eral  cavalry  made  a  most  determined  attack  in  heavy  force,  but  were  in 
turn  charged  by  General  W.  H.  F.  Lee,  and  completely  driven  off  the 
field.  This,  with  the  firm  stand  made  by  Corse's  men,  and  those  that 
could  be  rallied  at  this  point,  enabled  many  to  escape  capture.  Thus 
the  shades  of  the  evening  closed  on  the  bloody  field.  Had  the  cavalry 
on  the  left  done  as  well  as  that  on  the  right,  the  day  would  probably 
have  been  ours;  as  it  was,  it  was  most  stubbornly  contested  against  great 
odds.  The  whole  of  Sheridan's  cavalry  joined  with  Kautz's,  the  Second 
Corps  and  part  of  the  Sixth,  were  attacking  us.  I  learned  a  few  days 
afterward,  from  a  general  of  division  in  Warren's  corps,  that  it  was 
nineteen  thousand  strong,  making  the  whole  force  probably  thirty-five 
thousand,  while  we  had  not  more  than  six  thousand  engaged.  Our 
loss  in  killed  and  wounded  was  very  severe,  and  many  were  captured. 
Colonel  Mumford,  commanding  General  Fitz  Lee's  division,  was  quite 
active,  and  lent  great  assistance  personally.  During  the  evening,  a 
large  portion  of  the  command  having  been  assembled  on  the  railroad, 
I  proceeded  with  them  toward  Exeter  Mills,  intending  to  cross  the  Ap- 
pomattox  at  that  point,  and  rejoin  the  main  army.  While  at  that  point 
I  received  orders,  by  a  staff-officer,  to  report  to  Lieutenant-General 


FIVE  FORKS.  397 

R.  H.  Anderson  at  Sutherland's.  At  daylight  the  following  morning  I 
started  to  comply  with  the  order,  but  had  not  proceeded  far  when  I  found 
the  road  strewn  with  unarmed  stragglers  from  Wilcox's  and  Heth's 
divisions,  who  informed  me  that  the  lines  in  front  of  Petersburg  had  been 
forced.  I  decided  immediately  to  follow  up  the  river  and  join  General 
Anderson,  who,  I  learned,  had  gone  in  that  direction,  striking  for  Amelia 
Court-house.  I  omitted  to  mention  that  most  of  Ransom's  brigade  had 
crossed  the  river  at  Exeter  Mills.  I  reported  to  General  Anderson  on 
the  same  day,  and  that  night  Hunton's  brigade  reported.  They  had  also 
been  in  a  heavy  fight  and  had  suffered  severely,  though  they  had  acted 
with  their  usual  good  conduct. 

From  this  point  up  to  the  battle  of  Sailor's  Run  (a  report  of  which 
I  forwarded  through  General  Anderson)  there  is  nothing  of  any  moment 
to  relate  except  occasional  skirmishing  and  continual  marching  night  and 
day,  with  scarcely  any  rations.  The  second  day  after  the  battle  referred 
to,  not  being  able  to  find  General  Anderson's  headquarters,  I  reported 
to  Lieutenant-General  Longstreet,  and  continued  to  receive  orders  from 
him  until  the  army  was  paroled  and  dispersed.  Early  on  the  morning  of 
the  surrender,  when  the  Federals  made  an  advance  from  toward  Ap- 
pomattox  Court-house,  Lieutenant-General  Longstreet  sent  to  General 
Heth  a  staff-officer  (Captain  Dunn)  with  orders  to  move  up  at  once 
with  his  division.  I  had  the  remnant  of  my  division,  some  eight  hun 
dred  aggregate,  drawn  up  on  Heth's  left,  and  informed  Captain  Dunn  of 
the  fact,  and  that  we  would  move  with  Heth;  this  he  authorized,  and 
afterwards  informed  me  of  General  Longstreet 's  approval.  The  order 
to  advance  was,  however,  shortly  afterward  countermanded.  I  mention 
this  fact  merely  to  show  that,  even  at  the  last,  what  few  men  of  the  old 
division  were  left  were  willing  and  ready  to  do  their  utmost  to  maintain 
the  name  they  had  so  nobly  won  for  heroism  during  four  years  of  a  bloody 
and  terrible  war,  in  which  Virginia's  sons  had  poured  out  (as  a  sacrifice 
for  a  liberty  unfortunately  not  to  be  gained)  the  best  blood  of  the  proud 
old  State. 

It  is  needless  in  this  my  last  report  of  Pickett's  division,  to  recall 
to  the  commander-in-chief,  the  trials,  hardships  and  battles  through 
which  they  have  passed.  Baptized  in  war  at  Bull  Run  and  the  First 
Manassas,  under  Lieutenant-General  Longstreet 's  instruction,  they  con 
tinued  to  follow  the  lessons  first  taught  them,  on  their  various  marches; 
in  the  lines  about  Yorktown;  at  the  glorious  battle  of  Williamsburg,  when 
they,  with  Wilson's  Alabama  brigade,  withstood  the  advance  of  the  whole 
of  McClellan's  Grand  Army,  and  absolutely  drove  it  back;  at  the 
Seven  Pines,  when  they  were  so  highly  complimented  by  General  Jos. 


398  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.  * 

E.  Johnston;  and  at  Gaines's  Mill,  Frazier's  Farm,  Second  Manassas, 
Boonsboro,  Sharpsburg,  Gettysburg,  and  the  engagements  about  the 
lines  in  front  of  Bermuda  Hundred,  Fort  Harrison,  etc.,  which  came 
under  the  personal  observation  of  the  commander-in-chief.  The  writ 
ten  and  spoken  acknowledgments  of  their  worth  from  him  have  been 
gratefully  appreciated  by  them. 

There  having  been  no  brigade  or  regimental  reports  handed  in,  it  is 
impossible  to  state  the  casualties  which  have  occurred  in  the  last  cam 
paign.  I  must  not  conclude  without  mentioning  the  gallantry  and  un 
tiring  zeal  in  the  cause  exhibited  by  the  brigade  commanders,  Generals 
Corse,  Hunton,  Terry,  and  Stuart,  and  their  valuable  staff-officers,  some 
of  whom  were  killed  and  others  wounded  (General  Terry's  aide-de 
camp,  Lieutenant  Harris,  was  killed,  and  Captain  Fitzhugh,  General 
Hunton 's  assistant  adjutant-general,  wounded,  and  Captain  Bryaat, 
General  Terry's  assistant  adjutant-general,  wounded);  and  of  the  offi 
cers  of  my  staff,  Majors  Pickett  and  Harrison,  adjutant  and  inspectors- 
general  ;  Major  Horace  Jones,  commissary  of  subsistence  ;  Major  R. 
Taylor  Scott,  quartermaster;  Chief  Surgeon  M.  M.  Lewis;  Captains 
Baird,  Symington,  and  Bright,  aide-de-camps;  Captain  Cochrane,  ord 
nance  officer.  In  connection  with  this  department  (ordnance)  I  must 
not  forget  to  mention  the  name,  for  ability  and  efficiency,  of  Captain  S. 
G.  Leitch,  who  had  charge  of  it  for  three  years;  in  fact,  up  to  a  short 
time  before  the  campaign  commenced. 

To  the  commanding  officers  of  regiments  my  thanks  and  those  of  our 
State  are  due  for  their  maintenance  of  discipline  in  their  regiments,  their 
continual  and  unswerving  confidence  in  the  cause,  and  their  personal  ac 
tivity  on  the  many  battle-fields,  in  leading  on  their  men  to  victory,  or 
sustaining  them  under  their  various  hardships.  Such  names  as  those  of 
Montague,  Phillips,  Strange,  Edmonds,  Stuart,  Herbert,  Carrington, 
Green,  Mayo,  the  Berkeleys,  Floweree,  White,  Gantt,  Preston,  Peyton, 
Patton,  Gary,  Garland,  Withers,  Magruder,  Langhorne,  Otey,  Hodges, 
August,  Marye,  Moore,  Chew,  Aylett,  Slaughter,  etc.,  should  not  be  for 
gotten  in  Virginia's  history. 

I  am,  Colonel,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant. 

(Signed)  G.  E.  PICKETT, 
Major-General  Commanding. 
COLONEL  W.  H.  TAYLOR, 

Assistant  Adjutant-General,  Army  of  Northern  Virginia. 


CHAPTER  XLVIII. 

SAILOR'S  CREEK. 

Pickett's  command,  nobly  acquiescent  in  the  sacri 
fices  incidental  to  their  defeat  at  Five  Forks,  calmly 
confident  in  the  justice  of  their  cause,  ever  maintained 
unwavering  loyalty.  They  held  themselves  in  readi 
ness  to  follow  their  beloved  and  fearless  commander 
with  undaunted  courage  wheresoever  he  should  lead 
them. 

During  the  evening  of  the  1st  of  April  the  command 
collected,  and  assembled  on  the  railroad,  rallying  around 
their  headquarters  flag.  War-worn  and  weary,  weakened 
by  sufferings  inconceivable,  sadly  reduced  in  numbers  by 
losses  in  killed  and  captured,  depressed,  not  only  by 
past  disasters  but  by  the  certainty  of  future  defeat,  they 
gathered  bravely  around  their  leader  and  their  flag,  with 
a  courage  which  might  lead  them  to  death  but  would  for 
ever  preserve  them  from  dishonor. 

Early  Sunday  morning,  the  2d  of  April,  following  the 
battle  of  Five  Forks,  Pickett,  after  reviewing  his  men, 
thanked  them  for  their  confidence  in  him,  and  for  their 
valiant  services  in  the  last  onslaught  through  which  they 
had  just  passed.  With  words  of  courage  he  gave  the 
order  to  march,  proceeding  with  them  toward  Exeter 
Mills,  at  which  point  it  was  his  intention  to  cross  the 
Appomattox  River  and  rejoin  the  main  army. 

While  the  command,  however,  was  at  a  halt  at  Exeter 
Mills,  Pickett  received,  through  a  staff-officer,  an  order 
from  R.  H.  Anderson  to  report  to  him  at  Sutherland's 

399 


400  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN,    • 

Tavern.  Most  of  Matt  Ransom's  brigade  had  already 
gone  across  the  river  at  Exeter  Mills. 

On  the  following  morning,  just  as  the  day  was  breaking, 
Pickett,  in  accordance  with  the  orders  received  from  Ander 
son,  started  out  with  his  command,  but  he  had  not  gone  very 
far  on  his  way  when  he  found  the  road  blocked  and  strewn 
with  stragglers  from  Heth's  and  Wilcox's  divisions. 

These  wanderers  informed  Pickett  that  the  lines  in 
front  of  Petersburg  had  been  forced,  that  they  had  been 
cut  off  from  Petersburg,  and  that  Anderson  had  gone 
on  toward  Amelia  Court-house.  Assured  of  the  truth  of 
this  information,  Pickett  immediately  followed  on  up  the 
river,  and  on  the  evening  of  the  same  clay  (the  2d  of 
April)  joined  Anderson  at  Deep  Creek,  nearly  famished, 
for  no  rations  had  been  issued  since  the  scanty  supply  of 
the  29th  —  and  yet  not  a  murmur  was  heard. 

A  few  hours  afterward  Hunton's  brigade,  numbering 
about  nine  hundred,  reported.  This  brigade  had  also 
been  severely  engaged,  meeting  with  serious  loss.  On 
their  march  they  learned  that  their  beloved  A.  P.  Hill 
had  been  killed  at  Petersburg,  and  just  as  they  were  going 
into  bivouac  came,  too,  the  first  sad  intelligence  of  the 
evacuation  of  Richmond  and  its  partial  destruction  by 
fire.  These  mournful  tidings  struck  a  knell  of  despair  to 
every  heart,  but  especially  to  those  whose  families  and 
homes,  together  with  all  their  worldly  possessions,  were 
within  the  captured,  burning  city. 

With  the  light  which  we  now  have,  it  seems  strange 
that  this  blow  should  have  been  made  heavier  by  com 
ing  as  a  surprise,  but  the  fact  was,  that  the  loss  of 
their  capital  was  a  calamity  for  which  the  Confeder 
ate  soldiers  were  wholly  unprepared.  It  seemed,  how 
ever,  but  to  strengthen  their  resolve  as  they  perseveringly 
marched  on. 


SAILOR'S  CREEK.  401 

To  describe  the  sufferings  of  the  march  on  to  Amelia 
Court-house  and  thence  to  Sailor's  Creek  would  be  to 
paint  a  picture  of  the  darkest  horror.  The  army  supplies 
were  utterly  exhausted.  There  was  no  food  to  be  had  in 
the  country.  All  the  homes  along  the  line  had  been 
stripped  by  those  who  had  come  in  advance.  There  was 
nothing  to  eat  but  a  little  parched  corn  when  they  stopped 
long  enough  to  parch  it.  This  "they  shelled  from  the  ear 
as  they  marched  along.  Many  of  the  men,  overcome  by 
fatigue  and  suffering,  loss  of  sleep  and  hunger,  succumbed 
by  the  way,  and  others  found  themselves  going  to  sleep 
as  they  walked  along  and  would  stumble  and  fall  in  the 
road.  Now  and  then  they  made  a  halt  for  a  skirmish, 
with  the  enemy,  who  were  on  all  sides,  front,  rear  and  both 
flanks.  Time  and  again  during  the  forty-eight  hours  they 
were  forced  to  halt  and  not  only  draw  up  in  line  of  battle, 
but  form  a  hollow  square  to  prevent  capture. 

The  tortures  of  the  march  were  intensified  by  the  fact 
that  it  led  through  a  country  in  which  lived  the  families 
and  friends  of  many  of  these  soldiers  who  were  marching 
on  to  death,  imprisonment,  or  to  the  humiliation  of  de 
feat.  Yet,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  they  were  within 
a  few  hours  of  their  homes  and  loved  ones,  whom  they 
had  not  seen,  many  of  them  for  months  and  many  for 
years,  there  was  but  little  straggling. 

Although  it  was  not  safe  to  stray  far  from  the  com 
mand  on  account  of  the  enemy's  cavalry,  yet  now  and 
then  some  one  of  these  starving  heroes,  impelled  by  the 
pangs  of  hunger,  would  venture  off  in  a  vain  search  for 
food,  only  to  fall  from  weakness  by  the  wayside. 

All  the  sufferings,  privations,  and  hardships  of  the  four 
preceding  years  put  together  would  not  equal  those  en 
dured  on  this  march  to  Amelia  Court-house,  yet  they  went 
bravely  on,  sustained  by  the  hope  that  food  awaited  them: 

26 


402  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

there.  Lee,  knowing  that  they  had  started  off  with  only 
a  day's  rations,  had  ordered  provisions  to  that  point. 

In  the  meantime  the  fatality  foreseen  by  the  prescient 
Lee  had  taken  place.  The  last  blow  had  fallen  upon  the 
doomed  Confederacy.  The  dread  message  which  had 
flashed  across  the  wires  on  the  morning  of  Sunday,  the  2d 
of  April,  had  interrupted  the  devotions  of  the  government 
officials  in  St.  Paul's  Church  in  Richmond,  to  tell  them  that 
their  capital  had  fallen. 

They  hastened  from  the  church  to  the  State-house*  to 
secure  the  Confederate  archives  and  convey  them  to  a 
place  of  safety.  Then,  giving  orders  for  the  firing  of  the 
city,  they  left  on  the  evening  train,  lighted  on  their  way 
by  the  flames  which  illumined  the  capital,  and  followed 
by  the  thunderous  reports  of  the  exploding  ironclads  on 
the  James. 

Next  morning  the  victorious  army  came  scurrying 
across  country,  pell-mell,  in  a  wild  race  to  see  which  could 
be  first  in  at  the  death,  for  Richmond  had  fallen. 

At  the  very  time  that  the  ragged,  hungry,  weary,  suf 
fering  soldiers  of  a  lost  cause  were  marching  on  their 
painful  journey,  cheering  themselves  with  the  hope  of 
succor  at  the  next  halting-place,  the  flag  of  the  victors 
was  waving  over  the  capital  city  of  the  Confederacy. 

Upon  arriving  at  Amelia  on  the  afternoon  of  the  4th, 
the  army  ascertained  that  the  supplies  ordered  by  Lee 
had  been  brought  to  the  point  designated,  but  the  authori 
ties  had  immediately  sent  the  train  containing  them  to 
Richmond  to  bring  away  the  officials  of  the  fallen  capi 
tal,  and  by  some  strange  misunderstanding  it  had  gone 
on  without  waiting  to  unload! 

Thus  was  the  great  army  of  brave,  patient,  suffering 
men,  who  had  offered  for  their  cause  life,  home,  and  all 
the  hopes  and  aspirations  they  had  ever  known,  sacrificed 


SAILOR  S  CREEK.  403 

for  a  few  civic  officers  and  the  archives  of  a  nation  which 
had  died  in  its  birth. 

The  Confederate  forces  were  now  widely  scattered.  Lee 
recognized  the  necessity  of  concentration.  On  leaving 
Richmond,  his  intention  was  to  retreat  to  Danville,  on  the 
southern  boundary  of  Virginia,  southwest  of  Richmond, 
from  which  point  he  hoped  to  effect  a  projected  union 
with  Johnston. 

His  first  objective  point  was  Burkesville,  fifty-two 
miles  south  of  Richmond,  at  the  junction  of  the  Richmond 
and  Danville  and  the  Norfolk  and  Western  railroads. 
This  place  safely  reached,  he  could  destroy  the  roads  in 
the  rear  and  for  a  time  escape  pursuit.  He  had  gained 
some  hours,  and  might  have  carried  his  plan  to  success 
but  for  the  delay  caused  by  the  fatal  mistake  in  ordering 
off  the  loaded  train  of  supplies  which  he  had  taken  such 
pains  to  provide.  The  sufferings  of  the  starving  army, 
and  the  consequent  halts  which  were  made  in  efforts  to 
obtain  subsistence,  enabled  Sheridan  to  overpass  Lee  and 
reach  Jetersville  on  the  Danville  Railroad,  seven  miles 
southwest  of  Amelia,  from  which  place  he  telegraphed 
Grant  at  Petersburg.  Grant  arrived  at  Jetersville  at  mid 
night,  presented  himself  at  the  headquarters  of  Sheridan, 
who,  roused  from  his  slumbers,  hastened  to  meet  him. 
Sheridan  explained  the  position  by  means  of  a  sketch 
hastily  drawn  upon  a  letter  which  he  took  from  his  pocket. 

"  Lee  is  caught,"  said  Grant.  "  It  will  be  hard  for  him 
to  get  away." 

Perhaps  it  was  hard,  but  when  Sheridan  arrived  at 
Amelia  on  the  morning  of  the  6th  of  April,  he  found  that 
the  difficult  feat  had  been  accomplished,  and  Lee  had  once 
more  eluded  a  well-laid  plot. 

On  the  morning  of  the  6th,  Pickett  reached  Sailor's 
Creek,  where  for  some  hours  he  made  a  halt  in  line  of 


404  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

battle.  This  creek  is  a  marshy  stream,  difficult  to  cross, 
running  westerly  into  the  Appomattox. 

In  the  meantime  every  effort  was  being  made  by  the 
Confederates  to  push  on  their  wagon-trains  and  artillery 
across  the  Appomattox  River  at  Farmville,  a  small  town 
west  of  the  Danville  Railroad.  The  mud  and  mire  and 
famishing  animals  made  the  progress  slow.  Soldiers  may 
live  for  a  time  on  hope  and  patriotism,  but  mules  and 
horses  must  have  fodder  and  corn.  Both  the  wagon-road 
to  Lynchburg  and  the  South-side  Railroad  cross  the  Ap 
pomattox  at  Farmville,  and  the  latter  again  five  miles  east 
of  it,  at  High  Bridge.  The  river  being  too  deep  to  ford, 
Farmville  therefore  became  an  important  point  to  both 
armies. 

Ewell's  command  was  on  Pickett's  left,  and  Mahone's 
division  was  on  his  right.  Sheridan,  with  his  thousands 
of  well-fed,  well-equipped  cavalry,  was  in  front,  making 
every  demonstration  to  delay  the  Confederates  from  at 
tacking  until  he  should  be  reinforced  by  his  infantry. 

Meantime  Mahone  received  orders  to  move  on,  thus 
leaving  a  gap  in  the  Confederate  line,  which  grew  wider 
as  Mahone  advanced. 

Hunton,  from  his  position  on  the  right  of  Pickett's 
division,  observed  this  movement  and  gave  notice  of  it 
to  Pickett,  who  at  once  made  a  report  to  Anderson 
of  Mahone's  withdrawal,  and  of  the  consequent  danger 
to  his  own  command,  and  asked  permission  to  follow 
Mahone. 

The  order,  however,  which  Anderson  had  received 
from  the  commander-in-chief  to  "hold  on  in  connection 
with  Ewell's  command,  unfortunately  prevented  him," 
he  said,  "from  complying  with  Pickett's  request."  In 
the  meanwhile,  the  gap  between  Pickett  and  Mahone  was 
increasing. 


SAILOR'S  CREEK.  405 

Colonel  Huger's  battalion  of  artillery  attempted  to 
cross  this  gap  when  Mahone  was  a  mile  or  more  in  advance 
of  Pickett.  This  movement  was  defeated  by  Sheridan, 
who  made  a  swift  and  vigorous  attack  upon  Huger. 

Pickett,  witnessing  this  byplay,  immediately  pushed 
with  his  division  across  Sailor's  Creek  and  charged  upon 
the  Federals  with  two  of  his  brigades,  and  the  other  two 
quickly  followed. 

Sheridan,  taken  by  surprise,  was  driven  back  more  than 
half  a  mile,  abandoning  two  of  Huger's  captured  guns  in 
his  haste.  He  carried  off  Colonel  Huger  with  him,  but 
Captain  Grattan,  Colonel  Huger's  adjutant,  made  his  es 
cape  on  one  of  the  artillery-horses,  carrying  a  gun  with 
him. 

Pickett  then  formed  line  of  battle  and  held  it  against 
the  repeated  attacks  of  Sheridan's  dismounted  cavalry. 
His  division  was  by  this  time  completely  isolated, 
both  flanks  being  unprotected.  About  three  o'clock  shout 
after  shout  was  echoed  from  the  Federal  lines.  Pickett's 
men  knew  it  meant  that  the  infantry,  so  anxiously  looked 
for  by  Sheridan,  had  come  to  his  aid,  and  they  realized 
the  increased  perils  of  their  position. 

The  Federal  cavalry  and  infantry  began  at  once  to  close 
around  the  Confederate  right.  Anderson,  seeing  that 
Pickett's  men  were  being  hemmed  in  on  all  sides,  and 
knowing  that  it  was  too  late  then  for  him  to  move  on  his 
line  of  march,  gave  the  order  to  Pickett  to  draw  off  his 
brigades  to  the  rear,  and  to  cut  his  way  out  in  any  man 
ner  possible. 

Anderson,  in  order  that  he  might  assist  Pickett  in  this 
movement,  deployed  Wise's  brigade  in  the  rear  of  Pick 
ett's  line  of  battle.  Sheridan  at  once  charged  on  every 
side.  Pickett's  men,  overwhelmed  by  numbers,  fighting 
hand-to-hand,  stubbornly  resisted  to  the  bitter  end  their 


406  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

flfe 

inevitable  fate.  Many  of  the  men  broke  their  guns,  and 
many  of  the  officers  snapped  their  swords  in  two,  rather 
than  surrender  them  to  the  enemy.  They  fought  as  hero 
ically  and  nobly  on  this,  their  last  battle-field,  when  all 
hope  was  gone,  as  they  had  ever  done  in  any  battle,  even 
when  in  their  first  flush  of  glory,  and  in  perfect  faith  of 
ultimate  success. 

Corse  and  Hunton  were  taken  prisoners,  with  almost 
the  entire  remnant  of  their  commands.  Stewart  and 
Terry  succeeded  in  getting  off  the  field.  Pickett  himself, 
with  Colonel  Walter  Harrison  and  his  medical  director, 
Dr.  M.  M.  Lewis,  escaped  death  or  capture  almost  by  a 
miracle.  Pickett,  seeing  several  squadrons  of  cavalry  rid 
ing  directly  down  upon  them,  rallied  around  him  a  mere 
squad  of  his  beloved  old  division,  and  with  this  last  rally 
the  men  fired  their  parting  shot  into  the  faces  of  the  ad 
vancing  horsemen,  and  in  the  momentary  check  they 
made  their  escape. 

In  the  annals  of  warfare  there  is  found  no  page  which 
glows  more  vividly  with  the  light  of  heroism  than  does 
that  which  records  the  retreat  of  the  Confederate  army 
after  the  battle  of  Sailor's  Creek.  Starving,  jaded  by 
forced  marches  and  strenuous  exertion  in  battle,  it  yet 
found  strength  to  turn  and  with  its  old-time  impetu 
osity  and  transcendent  effort,  force  back  twice  across  the 
stream  the  strong,  well-fed,  victorious  army  of  Sheridan. 
Friend  and  foe  alike  have  marveled  over  such  wondrous 
gallantry  displayed  in  the  face  of  so  great  suffering 
and  disaster.  Truly  the  last  flashes  of  the  expiring 
flames  of  Southern  hopes  and  Southern  ambitions  have 
shed  imperishable  glory  over  the  record  of  the  men 
who  kept  those  flames  alive  through  over  four  years  of 
heroic  struggle  against  overwhelming  odds  of  men  and 
resources. 


SAILOR'S  CREEK.  407 

After  the  battle  of  Sailor's  Creek  occurred  the  first 
reunion  of  the  Blue  and  Gray.  It  was  when  Sheridan's 
soldiers  shared  their  rations  with  Pickett's  men  until 
Grant  issued  orders  for  their  supply.  Thus  the  voice  of 
a  common  ancestry  of  blood  and  kinship  was  heard  as 
an  echo  to  the  roar  of  cannon.  In  after  years  came  other 
reunions. 


CHAPTER  XLIX. 

THE    BLUE    AND    THE    GRAY. 

When  Abraham  Lincoln  stood  at  the  foot  of  Cemetery 
Ridge  and  looked  upward  to  where  the  frowning  cannon 
had  so  short  a  time  before  sent  its  leaden  death  to  the 
valley  below,  some  one  said  to  him,  "  Think  of  the  men 
who  held  these  heights!"  "Yes,"  he  replied,  "but  think 
of  the  men  who  stormed  these  heights!" 

As  Pickett's  division,  weary,  foot-sore  and  heart-sore, 
wended  their  toilsome  way  through  Pennsylvania,  on  the 
march  which  ended  on  the  field  of  Gettysburg,  they  passed 
a  small  Dutch  house  nestling  away  in  the  greenery  of  a 
pleasant  village.  As  they  came  near  a  little  maid  rushed 
out  upon  the  porch,  waving  the  stars  and  stripes  in  a  wild 
burst  of  patriotic  enthusiasm. 

For  a  moment  the  leader  of  that  wayworn  band  felt 
apprehensive  that  not  all  its  members  could  be  depended 
upon  to  maintain  their  chivalry  in  the  presence  of  that  ban 
ner  which  to  them  represented  so  much  of  wrong  done  upon 
their  native  soil.  Many  of  them  had  come  from  the  war- 
ravaged  district  of  Suffolk,  and  Southerners  will  know  what 
that  flag  meant  to  them.  Instantly  the  General  wheeled 
from  the  line  and,  taking  off  his  cap,  bowed  to  the  little 
maid  with  all  that  grace  for  which  he  was  noted  in  camp 
as  well  as  drawing-room,  and  respectfully  saluted  the  flag 
of  his  foes.  Then  turning  he  lifted  his  hand,  and  when 
the  long  line  had  passed  every  man  in  it  had  doffed  his 
cap  to  the  youthful  patriot  and  had  saluted  the  banner 
which  she  had  made  her  gage  of  battle. 

408 


THE  BLUE  AND  THE  GRAY.  409 

The  delighted  little  maiden,  who  had  never  before  re 
ceived  the  homage  of  a  whole  division,  cried  out  in  a  glow 
of  gratitude: 

"I  wish  I  had  a  Confederate  flag;  I  would  wave  that, 
too!" 

The  General  was  asked  afterward  how  he  could  bring 
himself  to  salute  the  enemy's  flag. 

"  I  did  not  salute  the  enemy's  flag,"  he  replied.  "I 
.saluted  the  heroic  womanhood  in  the  heart  of  that  brave 
little  girl,  and  the  glorious  old  banner  under  which  I  won 
my  first  laurels." 

On  the  twenty-fourth  anniversary  of  the  greatest  battle 
of  the  western  continent  the  men  who  held  those  heights 
and  the  men  who  stormed  those  heights  —  all  that  were 
left  of  them  —  met  on  the  old  blood-stained  field  where 
the  bravest  deeds  known  to  history  had  been  performed. 

Peace  had  laid  her  soft  mantle  over  the  heights  which 
nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century  before  had  been  frowned 
upon  by  war's  wrinkled  visage.  In  majestic  silence  the 
peaks  looked  skyward  through  the  golden  sun. 

An  amber  glory  lay  over  the  summit  of  Little  Round 
Top,  and  the  stream  at  its  base  which  had  once  flowed 
crimson  now  reflected  in  silvery  gleams  the  light  above  it. 

The  clouds  of  battle  had  drifted  away  long  ago,  and 
in  their  place  were  only  soft  gray  mists,  sun-tinted,  float 
ing  like  a  veil  of  peace  around  the  crest  where  once  the 
Philadelphia  brigade  met  the  onset  of  Pickett's  men.  The 
war-clouds  had  vanished,  but  many  of  the  brave  defenders 
of  the  height  yet  remained.  As  generous  in  peace  as  they 
had  been  brave  in  war,  they  had  come  with  outstretched 
hands  to  welcome  all  who  were  left  of  the  ragged  veterans 
who  so  valiantly  scaled  Cemetery  Heights  on  that  terrible 
July  day  which  had  burned  its  fiery  mark  upon  the  pages 
of  our  history. 


4IO  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

•j 

Every  part  of  that  ground  had  been  consecrated  by  a 
deed  of  heroism.  The  banner  of  the  South  furled  itself 
in  sadness  around  its  broken  flag-staff  long  ago,  but  the 
field  on  which  its  heroes  fought  and  fell  is  sacred  to  all 
Southern  hearts.  Here,  upon  this  spot,  fell  a  young  lieu 
tenant,  wounded  unto  death,  carrying  the  battle-flag  of 
the  South.  When  the  searchers  from  the  hospital  went 
over  the  field  to  perform  their  sad  duty  they  found  him 
lying  under  a  tree  with  a  worn  blanket  for  a  pillow.  His 
youthful  face  was  white  with  pain  and  exhaustion.  Such 
a  very  young  face  it  was,  one  could  not  help  thinking  that 
the  arm  of  a  loving  mother  would  be  a  far  more  fitting  pil 
low  than  the  rough  old  army  blanket  for  the  boyish  head. 
The  farewell  kisses  of  home  seemed  yet  to  linger  upon 
the  gentle  lips. 

He  was  sadly  wounded,  but  refused  to  be  taken  to  the 
hospital,  stating  as  a  reason  for  the  rejection  of  the  prof 
fered  aid  that  he  was  comfortable,  and  others  worse  hurt 
than  he  should  be  cared  for  first.  So  they  left  him,  be 
cause  he  urged  them  to  do  so,  and  when  they  came  later 
the  brave  soul  had  passed  beyond  the  darkness  and  the 
pain.  When  he  was  lifted  they  saw  why  he  had  sent 
them  away.  He  had  been  lying  upon  his  battle-flag, 
carefully  folded  and  placed  beneath  him  that  it  might  not 
fall  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  The  banner  which  he 
had  protected  in  life  he  guarded  still  in  death. 

Tenderly  Northern  hands  wrapped  it  around  the  dead 
hero  whose  life-blood  had  saturated  its  folds.  "And  it 
was  his  martial  cloak  and  shroud."  Never  was  warrior 
more  proudly  draped  for  his  last  long  sleep.  Never  did 
the  mightiest  of  earth  lie  in  grander  state  than  did  this 
boy  soldier  in  the  protecting  folds  of  the  flag  he  had  so 
loved.  Stranger  hands  laid  in  a  Northern  grave  that 
noble  son  of  the  South.  "  Unknown,"  the  grave  is  marked; 


THE  BLUE  AND  THE  GRAY.  411 

unknown  to  the  passer-by,  but  known  forever  to  his  God. 
Stranger  eyes  let  fall  the  tears  which  sank  into  the  earth 
to  unite  with  nature's  subtle  forces  and  spring  upward  in 
love's  life  and  beauty  to  bloom  in  violets  above  that  hero 
heart.  Who  shall  say  that  the  winds,  blowing  southward, 
did  not  lift  upon  their  radiant  wings  a  breath  of  those 
sweet  flowers  and  carry  it  like  a  holy  benediction  to  wait 
ing,  sorrowing  hearts  in  his  beloved  Southland? 

A  young  officer  rushed  up  in  front  of  Cowan's  battery, 
brandishing  his  sword  and  crying:  "Take  that  battery!" 
Colonel  Cowan  shouted,  "Fire!"  The  artillery  flamed 
out  its  fiery  death  and  all  within  its  range  fell.  After  the 
battle  was  over  Colonel  Cowan  picked  up  the  officer's 
sword  which  had  been  so  defiantly  brandished  in  front  of 
his  battery  and  carried  it  with  him  in  honor  of  the  brave 
soldier  who  had  borne  it  to  his  death.  For  years  he  made 
efforts  to  find  some  one  who  might  claim  it  by  right  of 
kinship  with  its  brave  owner.  Failing  in  this,  he  brought 
it  with  him  to  the  reunion  on  the  historic  ground  from 
which  he  had  taken  it,  and,  in  an  eloquent  speech,  pre 
sented  it  to  Pickett's  men  amid  tears  for  the  noble  dead 
and  cheers  for  the  noble  living.  It  is  still  treasured  as  a 
priceless  relic  of  battle-days,  and  the  luster  with  which  it 
is  adorned  by  the  bravery  of  its  wearer  and  the  generosity 
of  its  captor  will  never  fade. 

Over  there  is  where  Pettigrew  with  his  brave  North 
Carolinians  fought  with  desperate  courage  to  support  the 
left  flank  of  Pickett's  column  as  the  artillery  plowed 
death-furrows  through  its  ranks.  Hopeless  effort,  but 
not  vain,  for  the  valor  with  which  it  was  made  is  a  coronet 
of  glory  on  the  brow  of  the  good  North  State. 

Here  the  plain,  honest  man  of  the  people  stood  and 
gave  utterance  to  his  thought  in  words  which  appeal  not 
to  those  alone  to  whom  he  spoke.  They  sprang  from  a 


412  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

deep,  sympathetic  soul  and  struck  responsive  chords  in  all 
hearts  whose  bravest  and  dearest  had  helped  to  make  that 
ground  so  sacred  that  no  living  presence  could  deepen  its 
consecration.  Here  manhood  reached  a  height  of  courage 
and  ardent  love  from  which  it  could  not  recede,  and  had 
gone  beyond  into  the  highest.  "The  last  full  measure  of 
devotion  "  had  been  given  by  the  Gray  and  the  Blue  alike. 

Fourscore  and  seven  years  ago  our  fathers  brought  forth  upon  this 
continent  a  new  nation,  conceived  in  liberty  and  dedicated  to  the  propo 
sition  that  all  men  are  created  equal.  Now  we  are  engaged  in  a  great 
civil  war,  testing  whether  that  nation  so  conceived  and  so  dedicated,  can 
long  endure.  We  are  met  on  a  great  battle-field  of  that  war.  We  are 
met  to  dedicate  a  portion  of  it  as  the  final  resting-place  of  those  who 
here  gave  their  lives  that  that  nation  might  live.  It  is  altogether  fitting 
and  proper  that  we  should  do  this.  But  in  a  larger  sense  we  can  not 
dedicate,  we  can  not  consecrate,  we  can  not  hallow  this  ground.  The 
brave  men,  living  and  dead,  who  struggled  here,  have  consecrated  it  far 
above  our  power  to  add  or  subtract.  The  world  will  little  note  nor  long 
remember  what  we  say  here,  but  it  can  never  forget  what  they  did  here. 
It  is  for  us,  the  living,  rather  to  be  dedicated  here  to  the  unfinished 
work  that  they  have  thus  far  so  nobly  carried  on.  It  is  rather  for  us  to 
be  here  dedicated  to  the  great  task  remaining  before  us  —  that  from 
these  honored  dead  we  take  increased  devotion  to  the  cause  for  which 
they  here  gave  the  last  full  measure  of  devotion  —  that  we  here  highly 
resolve  that  the  dead  shall  not  have  died  in  vain,  that  the  nation  shall, 
under  God,  have  a  new  birth  of  freedom  and  that  a  government  of  the 
people,  by  the  people,  and  for  the  people,  shall  not  perish  from  the 
earth. 

"  The  brave  men,  living  and  dead —  The  living  come 
with  generous  hand  of  greeting,  North  and  South,  and 
their  voices  speak  only  friendship.  The  dead?  I  look 
beyond  and  see  their  loved  and  loving  faces.  On  the 
crest  of  life's  sublimest  height  they  fell,  to  rise  again  in 
supernal  triumph.  From  the  eternal  silence  they  look 
down  and  are  glad. 

Over  the  long  pathway  on  which  Armistead,  Garnett, 


THE  BLUE  AND  THE  GRAY.  4*3 

and  thousands  of  other  brave  ones  marched  to  death  the 
daisies  were  blossoming  in  a  great  white  sea.  As  I  looked 
they  seemed  to  fall,  crushed  under  the  rush  of  martial 
feet,  and  through  the  mists  of  a  quarter  century  I  saw 
that  long  line  moving  forward  in  the  wondrous  charge  of 
which  the  poet  has  written: 

WHEN  PICKETT  CHARGED  AT  GETTYSBURG.* 

When  Picket!  charged  at  Gettysburg, 
For  three  long  days  with  carnage  fraught, 
Two  hundred  thousand  men  had  fought; 
And  courage  could  not  gain  the  field, 
Where  stubborn  valor  would  not  yield. 
With  Meade  on  Cemetery  Hill, 
And  mighty  Lee  thundering  still 
Upon  the  ridge  a  mile  away; 
Four  hundred  guns  in  counterplay 
Their  deadly  thunderbolts  had  hurled  — 
The  cannon  duel  of  the  world  — 

When  Pickett  charged  at  Gettysburg. 

When  Pickett  charged  at  Gettysburg, 
Dread  war  had  never  known  such  need 
Of  some  o'ermastering,  valiant  deed; 
And  never  yet  had  cause  so  large 
Hung  on  the  fate  of  one  brief  charge. 
To  break  the  center,  but  a  chance; 
With  Pickett  waiting  to  advance: 
It  seemed  a  crime  to  bid  him  go, 
And  Longstreet  said  not  "Yes"  nor  "No," 
But  silently  he  bowed  his  head. 
"I  shall  go  forward!"  Pickett  said. 

Then  Pickett  charged  at  Gettysburg. 


*"  Pickett 's  Charge,"  by  Fred  Emerson  Brooks,  in  Metropolitan 
Magazine. 


PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 


Then  Pickett  charged  at  Gettysburg: 
Down  from  the  little  wooded  slope, 
A-step  with  doubt,  a-step  with  hope, 
And  nothing  but  the  tapping  drum 
To  time  their  tread,  still  on  they  come. 
Four  hundred  cannon  hush  their  thunder, 
While  cannoneers  gaze  on  in  wonder! 
Two  armies  watch,  with  stifled  breath, 
Full  eighteen  thousand  march  to  death, 
At  elbow-touch,  with  banners  furled, 
And  courage  to  defy  the'  world, 

In  Pickett 's  charge  at  Gettysburg. 

'Tis  Pickett 's  charge  at  Gettysburg: 
None  but  tried  veterans  can  know 
How  fearful  'tis  to  charge  the  foe; 
But  these  are  soldiers  will  not  quail, 
Though  Death  and  Hell  stand  in  their  trail  I 
Flower  of  the  South  and  Longstreet  's  pride, 
There's  valor  in  their  very  stride! 
Virginian  blood  runs  in  their  veins, 
And  each  his  ardor  scarce  restrains; 
Proud  of  the  part  they're  chosen  for; 
The  mighty  cyclone  of  the  war, 

In  Pickett 's  charge  at  Gettysburg. 

'Tis  Pickett 's  charge  at  Gettysburg: 
How  mortals  their  opinions  prize 
When  armies  march  to  sacrifice, 
And  souls  by  thousands  in  the  fight 
On  battle's  smoky  wing  take  flight. 
Firm-paced  they  come  in  solid  form  — 
The  dreadful  calm  before  the  storm. 
Those  silent  batteries  seem  to  say: 
"We're  waiting  for  you,  men  in  gray  I" 
Each  anxious  gunner  knows  full  well 
Why  every  shot  of  his  must  tell 

On  Pickett 's  charge  at  Gettysburg. 


THE  BLUE  AND  THE  GRAY.  415 


Tis  Pickett's  charge  at  Gettysburg: 
What  grander  tableau  can  there  be 
Than  rhythmic  swing  of  infantry 
At  shouldered  arms,  with  flashing  steel? 
As  Pickett  swings  to  left,  half-wheel, 
Those  monsters  instantly  outpour 
Their  flame  and  smoke  and  death!  and  roar 
Their  fury  on  the  silent  air  — 
Starting  a  scene  of  wild  despair; 
Lee's  batteries  roaring:     "Room!    Make  room!!" 
With  Meade's  replying:     "Doom!     'Tis  doom 

To  Pickett's  charge  at  Gettysburg.  " 

'Tis  Pickett's  charge  at  Gettysburg: 
Now  Hancock's  riflemen  begin 
To  pour  their  deadly  missiles  in. 
Can  standing  grain  defy  the  hail? 
Will  Pickett  stop?     Will  Pickett  fail? 
His  left  is  all  uncovered  through 
That  fateful  halt  of  Pettigrew! 
And  Wilcox  from  the  right  is  cleft 
By  Pickett's  half-wheel  to  the  left! 
Brave  Stannard  rushes  in  the  gap — 
No  more  disastrous  thing  could  hap 

To  Pickett's  charge  at  Gettysburg. 

'Tis  Pickett's  charge  at  Gettysburg: 
How  terrible  it  is  to  see 
Great  armies  making  history: 
Long  lines  of  muskets  belching  flame! 
No  need  of  gunners  taking  aim 
When  from  that  thunder-cloud  of  smoke 
The  lightning  kills  at  every  stroke! 
If  there's  a  place  resembling  hell, 
'Tis  where,  'mid  shot  and  bursting  shell, 
Stalks  Carnage  arm  in  arm  with  Death, 
A  furnace-blast  in  every  breath, 

On  Pickett 's  charge  at  Gettysburg. 


4l6  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 


'Tis  Pickett's  charge  at  Gettysburg: 
Brave  leaders  fell  on  every  hand! 
Unheard,  unheeded,  all  command! 
Battered  in  front  and  torn  in  flank; 
A  frenzied  mob  in  broken  rank! 
They  come  like  demons,  with  a  yell, 
And  fight  like  demons,  all  pell-mell! 
The  wounded  stop  not  till  they  fall; 
The  living  never  stop  at  all  — 
Their  blood-bespattered  faces  say, 
11  'Tis  death  alone  stops  men  in  gray, 

With  Pickett's  charge  at  Gettysburg!" 

Stopped  Pickett's  charge  at  Gettysburg 
Where  his  last  officer  fell  dead, 
The  peerless,  dashing  Armistead! 
Where  ebbed  the  tide  and  left  the  slain 
Like  wreckage  from  the  hurricane  — 
That  awful  spot  which  soldiers  call 
"The  bloody  angle  of  the  wall,  " 
There  Pickett  stopped,  turned  back  again 
Alone,  with  just  a  thousand  men! 
And  not  another  shot  was  fired  — 
So  much  is  bravery  admired! 

Pickett  had  charged  at  Gettysburg. 

Brave  Pickett's  charge  at  Gettysburg! 
The  charge  of  England's  Light  Brigade 
Was  nothing  to  what  Pickett  made 
To  capture  Cemetery  Hill  — 
To-day  a  cemetery  still, 
With  flowers  in  the  rifle-pit, 
And  no  one  cares  to  capture  it. 
The  field  belongs  to  those  who  fell; 
They  hold  it  without  shot  or  shell; 
While  cattle  yonder  in  the  vale 
Are  grazing  on  the  very  trail 

Where  Pickett  charged  at  Gettysburg. 


THE  BLUE  AND  THE  GRAY.  417 

Where  Pickett  charged  at  Gettysburg, 
In  after  years  survivors  came 
To  tramp  once  more  that  field  of  fame; 
And  Mrs.  Pickett  led  the  Gray, 
Just  where  her  husband  did  that  day. 
The  Blue  were  waiting  at  the  wall, 
The  Gray  leaped  over,  heart  and  all! 
Where  man  had  failed  with  sword  and  gun, 
A  woman's  tender  smile  had  won: 
The  Gray  had  captured  now  the  Blue, 
What  mortal  valor  could  not  do 

When  Pickett  charged  at  Gettysburg. 

This  twenty-fourth  anniversary  of  the  greatest  battle 
of  the  war  was  not  the  first  reunion,  within  my  experience, 
of  the  Blue  and  the  Gray.  When  the  great  Civil  War 
closed  it  left  me,  as  it  did  other  Southern  women,  with  a 
bitterness  of  heart  which  could  conceive  of  nothing  good 
in  those  whom  I  regarded  as  enemies.  The  General  had 
his  old  army  friends  with  whom  he  had  fought  side  by 
side  on  the  fields  of  Mexico,  whom  he  had  loved  through 
all  the  terrible  four  years,  and  whose  affection  for  him 
had  never  wavered.  The  sword  had  severed  the  few  ties 
which  had  linked  me  with  the  North. 

The  same  bitterness  went  with  me  on  our  return  from 
Canada,  when  we  so  unexpectedly  became  the  guests  in 
New  York  of  some  of  the  General's  dearest  and  most  in 
timate  comrades  in  arms  in  the  olden  days.  As  I  became 
acquainted  with  these  true  and  generous  friends  I  learned 
that  men  may  honestly  differ  politically  and  even  draw 
their  swords  against  each  other,  and  still  keep  warm  and 
faithful  hearts  that  only  await  the  opportunity  to  give  ex 
pression  to  their  brotherly  feeling.  I  remembered  that 
my  hero  had  fought  as  bravely  under  the  stars  and 
stripes  as  he  had  ever  fought  under  the  stars  and  bars. 
While  my  beloved  South  held  the  highest  place  in  my  af- 

27  ' 


4l8  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN.      • 

lections,  next  to  her  was  the  North  that  could  produce 
brave  and  noble  men  whose  friendship  could  stand  a  test 
so  severe.  I  took  the  General's  watch,  which  he  had 
carried  through  two  wars,  and  had  inscribed  on  the  inner 
side  of  the  case  the  names  of  the  battles  in  which  he  had 
fought  under  each  flag.  On  the  outside  I  had  enameled 
the  two  flags,  joined  together  with  two  ribbons,  one  of 
blue,  the  other  of  gray.  I  had  not  consulted  the  General 
about  this  "reunion,"  and  the  pleasure  which  mingled 
with  his  surprise  showed  how  dear  to  him  were  the  mem 
ories  of  his  old-time  battle-fields,  and  the  love  of  his  old- 
time  friends. 

A  solemn  reunion  took  place  when  we  collected  the 
bodies  of  the  Confederate  and  Federal  soldiers  and  gave 
them  burial  in  the  ground  which  had  been  made  sacred 
by  their  blood.  Ofttimes  the  dust  of  the  Blue  and  the 
Gray  mingled  in  the  same  coffin.  Out  from  the  infinite 
their  hands,  united,  reach  down  to  us  and  point  the  way 
to  a  higher  and  purer  national  life. 

Years  later  there  was  a  sad  reunion,  when  the  Phila 
delphia  brigade  came  to  Richmond  to  attend  the  unveil 
ing  of  Pickett's  monument  on  Gettysburg  Hill  in  Holly 
wood  Cemetery,  the  first  time  that  such  a  token  of  remem 
brance  had  ever  been  offered  to  a  fallen  foe.  Brave  men, 
come  to  do  honor  to  a  hero  who  had  fought  against  them, 
their  presence  was  a  touching  tribute  which  appealed  to 
the  depths  of  the  Southern  heart,  and  the  friendships 
formed  then  can  never  be  broken. 

In  the  year  in  which  I  write  the  Philadelphia  brigade 
and  Pickett's  men  met  again  in  the  beautiful  Quaker  City, 
whose  generous  heart  had  devised  a  succession  of  exquisite 
pleasures  for  the  entertainment  of  her  guests.  It  was  a 
happy  reunion,  saddened  only  by  the  absence  of  loved 
ones  who  once  met  with  us  in  genial  comradeship.  We 


THE  BLUE  AND  THE  GRAY.  419 

still  seemed  to  hear  their  voices  recounting  memories  of 
the  olden  days  when  not  even  the  most  prophetic  soul 
could  have  foretold  the  time  when  the  hand  of  the  Gray 
would  clasp  the  hand  of  the  Blue  in  a  friendship  that  was 
cemented  in  blood. 

A  few  weeks  afterward  there  was  a  pathetic  reunion 
when  the  members  of  Sedgwick  Post,  Grand  Army  of 
the  Republic,  of  Wakefield,  Rhode  Island,  escorted  the 
"Daughter  of  the  Confederacy"  when  she  started  on  her 
last  solemn  journey  to  the  South  which  she  so  loved. 
Sweet  Winnie  Davis,  her  noble  and  gracious  life  too  early 
ended  upon  earth,  sleeps  the  long,  long  sleep  in  the  heart 
of  that  land  which  held  her  so  dear,  and  on  her  sacred 
grave  North  and  South  alike  gently  place  the  myrtle  of 
love. 

And  now  lately,  at  Atlanta,  our  President,  in  whose 
administration  North  and  South  have  come  nearer,  per 
haps,  than  at  any  other  time  since  the  beginning  of  our 
constitutional  history,  and  whose  justice  and  sympathy 
have  had  great  influence  In  promoting  this  friendly  union, 
has  awakened  by  tender  and  loving  words  renewed  im 
pulses  to  thrill  through  the  deep  heart  of  our  great  Union. 

The  tempest  of  war  did  not  sweep  away  the  traditions 
which  formed  so  large  a  part  of  the  basis  of  life  in  the 
South.  They  dwell  deep  in  the  hearts  of  the  people, 
where  they  give  light  and  glory  to  life,  as  the  sunlight  of 
the  ages,  locked  up  in  the  depths  of  earth,  transmutes  its 
glow  into  the  sparkle  of  the  glittering  gem. 

The  flag  of  the  South  floats  not  in  triumph  from  the 
masts  of  great  ships  that  ride  the  sea  in  splendor,  but  far 
above  in  the  deepest  arch  of  the  highest  firmament  of  life 
its  stars  glitter  in  eternal  radiance. 

The  South  has  left  its  lotus-land,  with  its  mystic 
purple  shades  and  soft  odors  that  lull  the  soul  to  ravish- 


420  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

ing  dreams,  and  entered  the  bracing  atmosphere  and 
healthy  light  of  the  world  of  to-day.  She  has  delved  into 
the  depths  of  the  earth  and  brought  up  the  mighty  forces 
of  civilization  which  nature  in  the  beginning  stored  away 
for  this  time  of  her  awakening. 

She  sits  not  amid  the  ruins  of  her  temples,  like  a  sor 
rowing  priestess  with  veiled  eyes  and  depressed  soul, 
mourning  for  that  which  hath  been.  With  face  turned 
sunward  and  heart  aflame  with  ardor,  she  goes  bravely 
forth  with  faith  and  trust  to  meet  that  which  shall  be. 
Janus-like,  she  looks  to  the  past  and  the  future;  to  the 
the  past  for  the  deeds  of  heroism  from  which  she  gains 
that  inspiration  needed  in  peace  as  in  war,  to  the  future 
for  that  prosperity  which  can  be  found  in  unbroken  unity 
alone. 

The  sacred  memories  of  the  long  and  heroic  struggle 
of  the  South  belong  not  within  the  limits  of  geographic 
lines.  They  are  the  possession  of  our  country,  one  and 
undivided.  They  have  become  the  heritage  of  the  nation. 
The  river  of  blood  that  flowed  on  its  crimson  way  through 
our  land  a  generation  ago  has  fertilized  the  soil  for  bear 
ing  yet  more  luxuriant  blossoms  of  patriotism. 

The  star  of  the  South  burns  in  golden  flame  against  the 
pulsing  arch  of  sky  which  bends  above  the  sunny  land;  on 
the  distant  horizon  the  star  of  the  North  sparkles  in 
iridescent  gleams  upon  crests  of  snow,  and  their  mingled 
light  illumes  the  pathway  on  which  our  nation  moves  to 
a  glorious  destiny. 

While  I  was  the  guest  of  Pickett's  men  in  the  parade 
at  the  reunion  of  the  Gray  in  Atlanta,  my  son  was  in  the 
army  of  the  Blue,  serving  his  country  against  a  foreign 
foe.  For  the  only  time  in  our  many  meetings  to  com 
memorate  the  past,  he  was  absent  from  my  side;  but  my 
arm  was  around  his  child,  the  namesake  grandson  of  the 


THE  BLUE  AND  7 HE  GRAY.  421 

great  Confederate  leader,  and  the  little  blue-eyed  boy  was 
waving  the  flag  of  Virginia  with  as  enthusiastic  loyalty  as 
could  have  been  displayed  by  a  much  older  son  of  that 
great  State. 

Directly  behind  our  coach  marched  veterans  of  the 
George  E.  Pickett,  the  Pickett-Buchanan,  and  the  R.  E. 
Lee  camps,  clad  in  their  old  uniforms  of  Confederate  gray, 
and  carrying  the  tattered  and  battle-stained  flags  which 
they  had  so  valiantly  borne  in  deadly  conflict  in  a  genera 
tion  past.  Old  and  feeble  they  were,  many  of  them  dis 
abled  by  the  wounds  of  that  fearful  time.  The  presence 
of  many  of  them  there  was  due  to  a  whole  year,  perhaps, 
of  self-denial  on  the  part  of  themselves  and  their  families, 
who  had  made  every  sacrifice  in  order  that  the  old  sol 
dier  might  meet  once  more  with  his  comrades  of  the  olden 
days — "for  the  last  time,"  one  of  them  said  to  me  with 
touching  sadness.  Gallantly  they  marched  on,  no  more 
heeding  the  pouring  rain  than  they  had  heeded  it  in  the 
brave  days  of  old. 

As  they  toiled  along  through  the  drenching  rain  my 
heart  went  back  to  the  time  when  those  war-worn  veterans 
first  donned  the  old  uniform  of  gray  and  lifted  high  above 
their  ranks  those  banners,  now  battle-scarred,  then  bright 
and  beautiful,  and  floating  out  upon  the  spring-time  breeze 
as  if  to  promise  a  glorious  future  for  the  hearts  that  loved 
them  and  saw  in  their  stars  the  light  of  victory. 

"These  are  my  boys!"  proudly  exclaimed  General 
Pickett  to  me,  pointing  to  his  long  line  of  Southern 
heroes,  when  I  first  went  into  camp  where,  with  my  hus 
band,  I  spent  the  early  years  of  my  marriage. 

It  seems  fitting  that  these  heroic  men  who  followed 
their  leader  so  bravely  on  the  hardest-fought  fields  of  the 
South  should  have  a  distinctive  place  in  history. 
They  poured  out  their  blood  for  the  cause  which  was  to 


422  PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN. 

them  the  dearest  on  earth.  Their  memory  is  a  golden 
thread  in  the  strong  and  beautiful  web  of  Southern  life. 
Their  graves  make  sacred  the  historic  ground  of  the 
land  for  which  they  fought  and  fell.  The  star  of  their 
country's  fame  gleams  more  brightly  in  the  great  world- 
sky  because  they  have  lived  and  died. 

A  few  of  these  boys  yet  linger  on  the  shores  of  time, 
and  their  voices  greet  us  with  the  thrill  of  the  olden  days. 
Far  more  have  drifted  away  on  the  sea  of  silence.  If  the 
flower  of  memory  which  I  lovingly  plant  on  the  grave  of 
the  dead  shall  bloom  to  cheer  the  heart  of  the  living  I 
asi  content. 


APPENDIX. 


GENERAL  GEORGE  E.  PICKETT.* 

To  all  Virginians  and  to  all  the  survivors  of  the  Army  of  Mexico 
the  announcement  of  the  death  of  this  admirable  officer  will  give  a  thrill 
of  pain.  Perhaps  there  is  no  doubt  that  he  was  the  best  infantry  soldier 
developed  on  either  side  during  the  Civil  War.  His  friends  and  admirers 
are  by  no  means  confined  to  the  Southern  people  or  soldiers  to  whom  he 
gave  his  heart  and  best  affections  and  of  whom  he  was  so  noble  a  type, 
but  throughout  the  North  and  on  the  Pacific  coast  where  he  long  served, 
his  friends  and  lovers  are  legion. 

He  was  of  the  purest  type  of  the  perfect  soldier,  possessing  manly 
beauty  in  the  highest  degree;  a  mind  large  and  capable  of  taking  in  the 
bearings  of  events  under  all  circumstances;  of  that  firm  and  dauntless 
texture  of  soul  that'  no  danger  or  shock  of  conflict  could  appall  or  con 
fuse;  full  of  that  rare  magnetism  which  could  infuse  itself  into  masses 
of  men  and  cause  any  mass  under  his  control  to  act  as  one;  his  per 
ception  clear;  his  courage  of  that  rare  proof  which  rose  to  the  occasion; 
his  genius  for  war  so  marked  that  his  companions  all  knew  that  his  mind 
worked  clearer  under  fire,  and  in  the  "deadly  and  imminent  breach," 
than  even  at  mess-table  or  in  the  merry  bivouac,  where  his  genial  and 
kindly  comradeship  and  his  perfect  breeding  as  a  gentleman  made  him 
beloved  by  his  friends. 

He  will  live  in  history  as  nearer  to  Light  Horse  Harry,  of  the  Revo 
lution,  than  any  other  of  the  many  heroes  produced  by  old  Virginia  — 
his  whole  history  when  told,  as  it  will  be  by  some  one  of  the  survivors 
of  Pickett's  men,  will  reveal  a  modern  type  of  the  Chevalier  Bayard, 
' '  Sans  £eur  et  sans  rej)roche. ' ' 

George  Pickett  graduated  at  the  Military  Academy  in  1846.  He  im 
mediately  joined  his  regiment,  the  Eighth  United  States  Infantry,  in 

*  Written  and  published  by  the  General's  old  friend,  General  George 
B.  McClellan,  August  7,  1875.  A  copy  of  the  manuscript  and  a  touch 
ing  letter  was  sent  to  our  boy,  "the  General's  namesake  son,"  and  to 
me,  "the  devoted  wife." 

425 


426  APPENDIX, 

Mexico;  was  actively  engaged  in  seven  general  engagements  and  distin 
guished  in  all.  At  the  assault  of  the  castle  of  Chapultepec  he  was  of 
the  storming  party,  as  second  lieutenant,  with  Longstreet  as  first  lieuten 
ant  of  the  company.  Here  his  activity  and  personal  valor  was  such  as  to 
carry  him  the  first  man  to  the  Mexican  standard  which  floated  on  the 
citadel  of  that  formidable  stronghold.  Amid  a  storm  of  Mexican  bullets 
he  pulled  down  the  emblem  of  the  Aztec  and  ran  up  the  flag  of  the  Eighth 
Infantry.  He  won  and  received  three  brevets  for  his  service  in  Mexico, 
and  these  before  he  had  reached  the  age  of  twenty-five. 

After  that  war  he  served  in  Texas  and  upon  the  southern  frontier  till 
1856,  when  he  was  sent  with  his  regiment,  being  then  a  captain,  to  the  Pa 
cific  to  aid  in  suppressing  an  Indian  war  then  raging  in  Oregon  and  Wash 
ington  Territory  and  involving  all  the  tribes  from  the  Modocs  on  the  bor 
ders  of  California  to  the  Indian  tribes  on  the  confines  of  British  America 
to  the  north.  The  braves  of  tribes  numbering  forty-two  thousand  souls 
had  arisen  to  "wipe  out"  the  few  settlers  of  the  Northwest,  and  to  en 
counter  them  the  general  government  had  but  fourteen  hundred  regulars 
who,  with  the  two  thousand  volunteers  of  Oregon  and  Washington  Terri 
tory,  after  fighting  two  years,  so  effectually  subdued  these  savages  that,  with 
the  exception  of  the  Modocs,  they  have  never  made  war  since. 

In  this  remote  and  obscure  war,  George  Pickett  was  distinguished. 
At  its  close  he  was  directed  by  General  Harney,  then  commanding  the 
military  department  of  the  Northwest,  to  build  a  fort  on  the  northern 
boundary  between  the  United  States  and  the  British  provinces  on  Puget 
Sound,  and  garrison  it.  In  1859  the  question  of  ownership  between  the 
United  States  and  Great  Britain  of  the  Island  of  San  Juan  arose,  and 
General  Harney  ordered  Captain  Pickett  to  occupy  the  island.  Pickett 
by  a  masterly  movement  threw  himself  and  company  by  night  upon  the 
disputed  territory,  raised  the  flag  and  erected  earthworks  —  he  had  but 
sixty-eight  men  all  told.  Within  forty-eight  hours  the  British  fleet  came 
upon  the  adjacent  British  island  of  Vancouver,  five  ships-of-war  and  six 
teen  hundred  men,  and  demanded  that  Pickett  evacuate;  he  answered  by 
a  defiance  and  announced  his  intention  to  fight  as  long  as  a  man  of  his  com 
mand  lived.  After  exhausting  both  threats  and  diplomacy  the  British  ad 
miral  and  the  governor  of  Vancouver's  Island  agreed  to  leave  the  matter 
of  the  occupation  of  the  island  to  their  respective  governments,  and  Gen 
eral  Winfield  Scott  was  sent  by  the  United  States  to  the  coast,  where  the 
matter  was  settled  by  the  joint  occupation  by  garrisoning  both  of  Ameri 
can  and  British  troops,  and  a  fort  called  Camp  Pickett  was  erected  and 
Commanded  by  Captain  Pickett  till  the  commencement  of  the  Civil  War. 

It  is  a  fact  not  generally  known,  that  the  movements  which  are  re- 


MEMOIR.  427 

ferred  to  here  in  the  occupation  of  San  Juan  had  their  origin  in  a  patri 
otic  attempt  on  the  part  of  General  Harney,  Governor  Stevens,  of  Wash 
ington  Territory,  and  other  Democratic  Federal  officers  on  that  coast, 
with  the  knowledge  and  zealous  concurrence  of  Captain  Pickett,  to  force 
a  war  with  Great  Britain,  in  the  hope  that  by  this  means  the  then  jarring 
sections  of  our  country  would  unite  in  a  foreign  war,  and  so  avert  the  civil 
strife  which  they  feared  they  saw  approaching.  For  this  purpose  Captain 
Pickett  gladly  volunteered  to  risk  his  life,  and  so  endeavored  to  force  the 
Englishmen  to  open  fire  upon  him  when  he  first  occupied  the  disputed 
island  on  which  the  British  had  settlements,  but  which  was  afterwards 
awarded  to  the  United  States  by  the  Emperor  of  Germany,  under  the 
Geneva  Conference.  It  is  certain  that  in  this  adventure  Pickett  would 
gladly  have  spilled  his  blood  to  have  averted,  at  the  cost  of  a  foreign 
war,  that  civil  war  which  he  and  so  many  others  tried  to  avert,  yet  to 
which,  when  it  came,  they  gave  their  best  efforts  —  forced  into  it  by 
their  principles  of  honor  and  affection  to  their  people. 

As  soon  as  the  State  of  Virginia  seceded  Pickett  resigned  and  re 
turned  to  Virginia.  The  military  government  on  the  Pacific  coast  en 
deavored  to  arrest  him,  but  he  made  his  way  to  Virginia,  was  immedi 
ately  appointed  colonel,  afterwards  brigadier-general,  and  in  October, 
1862,  was  a  major-general.  At  Gaines's  Mill  he  was  badly  wounded, 
leading  his  gallant  Virginians  against  the  Federals  commanded  by  his 
old  captain,  General  S.  Casey,  under  whom  he  had  in  youth  gained  re 
nown  in  the  forlorn  hope  at  Chapultepec.  He  signally  defeated  the  di 
vision  opposed  to  him.  Upon  his  rapid  recovery  from  his  wounds  he 
was  assigned  to  the  command  of  that  division  of  the  Army  of  Virginia 
which  gained  such  imperishable  renown,  that  for  all  time  to  come  the 
proud  boast,  "I  am  descended  from  one  of  Pickett 's  men,"  will  be  held 
equivalent  to  the  words  in  France,  "One  of  the  Old  Guard,  which  dies 
but  never  surrenders." 

We  here  quote,  from  the  Norfolk  Virginian,  an  article  written  a 
few  days  since,  while  the  great  soldier  and  paladin  of  the  infantry  of  the 
Confederacy  lay  dead  in  that  city. 

' '  But, ' '  says  the  Norfolk  Virginian,  ' '  it  was  the  ever  memorable 
day  of  July  3,  1863,  that  covered  Pickett  and  Pickett 's  men  with  imper 
ishable  glory  and  linked  their  names  with  the  noblest  and  saddest  story 
of  Confederate  achievements.  The  day  rose  bright  and  smiling  on  the 
buoyant  hopes  of  a  brave  army,  till  then  victorious  over  all  opposition, 
and  full  of  confidence  in  coming  victory.  It  witnessed  an  assault  which 
for  desperate  daring  has  rarely  been  equaled  in  the  wars  of  nations, 
when,  from  the  hill  which  they  had  occupied,  down  its  descent,  and  up 


428  APPENDIX. 

to  the  enemy's  front,  full  half  a  mile  of  open  and  exposed  ground,  amid 
the  iron  hail  of  two  hundred  cannon  belching  shot  and  canister  and 
schrapnel,  and  the  leaden  rain  poured  out  from  the  massed  infantry  that 
thickly  lined  the  crest  of  Cemetery  Ridge,  Pickett,  with  Kemper  and 
Garnett  and  Armistead,  led  his  division,  a  forlorn  hope,  forty-five 
hundred  men  against  the  concentrated  strength  of  the  Federal  army. 
No  grander  sight  ever  fascinated  the  gaze  of  military  men  than  that  of 
those  noble  heroes  charging  in  steady  and  unbroken  line  of  battle, 
through  smoke  and  fire  and  death,  up  that  fatal  hill,  to  and  over  the 
breastworks  that  lined  it,  over  two  lines  of  guns,  over  two  lines  of  in 
fantry,  up  to  the  very  brow  of  the  hill,  up  to  the  very  verge  of  victory. 
But,  alas!  it  might  not  be,  valor  had  done  its  utmost;  it  was  not  fated 
that  they  should  win,  then  and  there,  another  independence  day.  Un 
supported,  broken,  disrupted,  scattered,  the  survivors  who  reached  the 
crest  found  themselves  but  the  skeleton  of  the  division  that  but  a  few 
minutes  before  had  so  proudly  marched  down  the  opposite  descent; 
while  around  them  closed  countless  masses  of  hostile  infantry  and  on 
them  was  concentrated  the  fire  of  a  dozen  batteries;  and  then  com 
menced  the  retreat,  from  which  emerged  but  one-fourth  of  the  command 
before  the  charge.  That  charge  has  gone  into  history,  a  testimony  to 
the  valor  of  Confederate  soldiers  that  will  never  fade." 

The  close  of  the  war  left  Pickett  poor  and  broken.  He  was  a  sol 
dier,  pure  and  simple,  of  illustrious  qualities,  and  his  life  from  the  age 
of  fifteen  entirely  devoted  to  the  profession  he  so  well  loved  and  had  so 
adorned. 

General  B.  F.  Butler,  who  was  perhaps  as  complete  an  opposite  to 
Pickett  as  the  race  can  produce,  made  an  effort  to  have  him  tried  by  a 
military  commission,  "organized  to  convict."  Butler  had  been  bottled 
by  General  Pickett  at  Bermuda  Hundred,  and  sought  this  revenge.  Gen 
eral  Grant,  who,  in  common  with  hundreds  of  the  old  army,  loved  Pick 
ett,  saved  him. 

After  Grant  became  President  he  gave  further  proof  of  his  affection 
by  sending  for  Pickett  and  offering  him  the  marshalship  of  the  State  of 
Virginia.  "You  can  not  afford  to  do  this,  "  said  Pickett,  "and  I  can  not 
afford  to  accept  it  from  you. "  "I  can  afford  to  do  whatever  I  choose, 
Pickett,"  said  the  soldier  President.  The  man  who  had  fought  for  the 
Confederacy  realized  the  difficulties  and  responsibilities  which  environed 
both  himself  and  the  President  of  the  United  States,  and  persistently 
declined  the  position  which  he  so  much  needed. 

The  Khedive  of  Egypt  had  previously  offered  him  the  position  of 
brigadier-general  in  his  army;  but  Pickett  refused.  As,  like  all  brave 


MEMOIR.  429 

men,  he  loved  his  lovely  and  devoted  wife,  he  refused  to  leave  her  for 
foreign  service,  and  accepted  the  position  of  general  agent  of  the  Wash 
ington  Life  Insurance  Company  of  New  York,  for  Virginia,  and  in  the  exe 
cution  of  his  duty  in  this  civil  capacity,  in  Norfolk,  his  war-worn  frame 
succumbed  to  the  disease  which  attacked  him  only  a  few  days  before. 

Could  he  have  had  his  wish  he  had  died  amid  the  roar  of  battle.  No 
man  of  our  age  has  better  illustrated  the  aptitude  for  war  of  his  class  of 
our  country,  and  with  these  talents  for  war  was  united  the  truest  and 
sweetest  nature.  No  man  of  his  time  was  more  beloved  of  women,  of 
men  and  of  soldiers.  He  was  to  the  latter  a  rigid  disciplinarian,  and  at 
the  same  time  the  soldier's  friend. 

Virginia  will  rank  him  in  her  roll  of  fame  with  Lee,  with  Johnston, 
with  the  Jackson  they  love  as  Stonewall;  and  mourners  for  the  noble 
and  gallant  gentleman,  the  able  and  accomplished  soldier,  are  legion. 

True  and  noble  soul,  rest  in  peace;  and  may  the  God  he  revered  give 
that  consolation  He  only  can  to  his  devoted  wife  and  namesake  son. 


M&fflr^r^K 


INDEX. 


Adams,  J.  Q.,  103,  133. 

Aldie,  260. 

Alexander,  E.  P.,  223,  283  et  seq. 

Alien  and  sedition  laws,  141. 

Allen,  R.,  160,  210. 

Anderson,  G.  B.,  201. 

Anderson,  R.  H.,  158,  179-186,  196- 
202,  208,  219-224,  233,  243,  265, 
280-300,  349,  354,  380,  382,  393- 

397.  399,  400,  4°4.  4Q5- 
Antietam,  195  et  seq.,  216,  219,   256. 
Anti-slavery  party,  147. 
Archer,  J.  J.,  272,  274,  305. 
Archer,  R.,  167. 
Armistead,  D.  L.,  166. 
Armistead,   L.  A.,  95,   168,  205,  211, 

213,  214,  233,  236,  295  et  seq.,  308, 

412,  428. 

Armistead,  W.  K.,  214. 
August,  T.  P.,  210. 
Averell,  General,  240,  241. 
Avery,  R.,  206. 
Aylett,  W.  R.,  210,  398. 
Ayres,  General,  392. 


Baird,  E.  R.,  159,  161,  206,  398. 
Bancroft,  105. 

Barksdale,  General,  224,249,287,289. 
Barlow,  General,  356. 
Barnes,  Surgeon-General,  59. 
Barton,  General,  331,  339,  347. 
Baynes,  Admiral,  121-123. 
Bazalgette,  Captain  George,  121,123. 


Beauregard,    G.  T.,    263,    338-340, 

342,  345  et  seq. 
Belen  Gate,  96. 
Bellingham  Bay,  97. 
Benjamin,  General,  199. 
Benton,  Thomas,  no. 
Berkeley,  N.,  158,  161,  170,  210,  398. 
Bermuda    Hundred,    340,    347-350, 

357.  362. 

Birney,  General,  246,  279  et  seq. 
Blaine,  James  G.,  59. 
Blount,  J.  R.,  209. 
Boonsboro,  195,  210,  216. 
Boston,  S.  A.,  160. 
Bragg,  B.,  324,  342,  347~349- 
Breckenridge,   General  J.  C.,  2,   u, 

355- 

Bright,  R.  A.,  206,  334,  398. 
Bristoe  Station,  192. 
Brockenbrough,  General,  305. 
Brooke,  F.  W.,  206. 
Brooks,  F.  E.,  413. 
Brown,  Captain,  197. 
Brown,  John,  135  et  seq. 
Bryant,  Captain,  398. 
Buena  Vista,  215. 

Buford,  General,  265,  271-273,  284. 
Bull  Run,  191,  192,  209. 
Bumford,  Captain,  94,  95. 
Burnside,   General  A.  E.,  196,    199, 

202-203,   209,   219-232,   234,   240- 

242,  330,  331,  337-  356. 
Butterfield,  General,  179. 
Butler,  B.  F.,  8,  30,  59,  86,  87,  339- 

342,  344,  349,  365,  428. 


432 


INDEX. 


Cabell,  H.  C.,  207. 
Cabell,  J.  C.,  203,  297,  348. 
Calhoun,  J.  C.,  144,  145. 
Campbell,  A.,  107. 
Campbell,  M.  VanB.,  206. 
Canal  de  Haro,  108-110. 
Carrington,  H.  A.,  159,  210,  398. 
Carroll,  Lieutenant,  208,  238. 
Cary,  R.  M.,  210,  398. 
Casey,  General  S.,  97,  164,  166. 
Caskie,  W.  H.,  207,  208. 
Cerro  Gordo,  93,  95,  129. 
Chamberlain,  Colonel,  286. 
Chambersburg,  219,  257. 
Chancellor,  C.  W.,  206. 
Chancellorsville,  239,  244  et  seq. 
Chantilly,  193. 

Chapultepec,  94-96,    129,  214,  426. 
Chester,  357^  seg.,  377. 
Chew,  R.  S.,  210,  398. 
Churubusco,  94,  95,  129. 
Clay,  H.,  132,  133,  145. 
Cleburne,  General,  229. 
Clingman,    General,    331,   334,    335, 

341- 

Cobb,  General,  183,  230. 
Cochrane,  H.  P.,  206,  398. 
Cocos  Plain,  92. 
Cold  Harbor,    176-178,   182,    352  et 

seq. 

Collado,  91. 
Colquitt,  General,  347. 
Colston,  General,  157,  160,  169. 
Colt,  Colonel,  166. 
Commercial  Convention,  146. 
Comte  de  Paris,  156. 
Confederation,  Articles  of,  139. 
Connecticut,  143. 
Convention  of  Maritime  States,  143. 


Contreras,  94,  129. 

Cooke,  General  J.  R.,  225,  230. 

Cooke,  Major  G.  T.,  339. 

Cooke,  J.  E.,  26. 

Cooper,  S.,  336. 

Corse,  M.  D.,  159,  209-210,  216- 
217.  233,  236,  293,  317,  331,  332, 
334.  337,  347,  348,  380,  383,  384, 
388,  390,  392-397,  406. 

Couch,  General,   164,  241,  243,  244. 

Cowan,  Colonel,  411. 

Cox,  General,  199. 

Cralle,  C.  C.,  317. 

Crampton's  Gap,  196,  197. 

Crawford,  General,  389,  392. 

Crocker,  J.  F.,  298. 

Croxton,  Captain,  161. 

Culpeper  Court-house,  219. 

Gushing,  Colonel,  308. 

Cutler,  General,  273. 

D 

Daniel,  General,  276, 
Daughter  of  Confederacy,  419. 
Davis,  J.,  i,  155,  156,  187,  263,  322, 

348,  385. 

Davis,  J.  R.,  272,  305. 
Dearing,  Jas.,  158,  206-209,  237,  243, 

297,  331,  333,  334,  338. 
Deserter,  letter  of,  368. 
Dinwiddie  Court-house,  379  et  seq., 

386. 

Dix,  General,  262. 
Donelson,  Fort,  175. 
Doubleday,  General,   200,  226,  274- 

277.  , 

Drake,  Sir  Francis,  100. 
Drayton,  General,  202. 
Dred  Scott  Decision,  134. 
Drury's  Bluff,  175,  210,  346  et  seq. 
Dudley,  M.,  322. 


INDEX. 


433 


Dunn,  Captain,  397. 

Dutch  Gap  Canal,   86,  87,  357,  363. 


Early,  General  J.  A.,  155,  201,  210, 
213,  215,  244,  245,  248,  262-266, 
274,  276,  283,  355. 

"East  Lynne, "  326. 

Edmonds,  E.  C.,  210. 

Edmonds,  W.  B.,  206,  398. 

Egypt,  Khedive  of,  428. 

Elzey,  General,  325. 

Emancipation     Proclamation,     204, 

253. 

Embargo  Act,  143. 

Estvan,  Colonel,  183,  185. 

Evans,  General,  193. 

Ewell,  General  R.  S.,  155,  192,  198, 
200,  225,  226,  257,  258,  260,  262, 
264,  265,  274-278,  280,  282,  285, 
290,  291,  294,  297,  355,  404. 


Fairfax,  R.,  206. 

Pair  Oaks,  162. 

Field,  General,  355. 

Fitzhugh,  Captain,  398. 

Five  Forks,    10,  n,  217,  385  et  seq. 

Florence,  W.,  72,  73. 

Floweree,  Colonel  C.  C.,  209,   288, 

289,  362,  389,  398. 
Floyd,  C.,  206. 
Fontaine,  C.  R.,  211. 
Foster,  General,  331. 
Franklin,   General  W.  B.,  163,  187, 

196,  220,  222,  733,  241,  242. 
Frazier'sFarm,  187  et  seq.t  217,  218. 
Frazier,  J.  T.,  366. 
Frederick  City,  195. 
Fredericksburg,   206,   215,   217,  221, 

226-232,  234,  241. 


French,  General,  238,  239. 
French,   General  W.  H.,   183,   227, 

230,  261. 

Friend,  T.  R.,  206. 
Fry,  Colonel,  347. 
Funsten,  D.,  210. 


Gaines's  Mill,  176  et  seq.,  187,  209*. 

211,  218,  353,  427. 
Gamble,  General,  272,  273. 
Gantt,  H.,  159-160,  210,  398. 
Garland,  General  S.,  163,  197,  210, 

398. 
Garnett,   General   R.   B.,    196,    198, 

202,  203,  205,   212,   233,  237,  295, 

300,  303-304,  307,  412- 
Geary,  General,  296. 
Gee,  Captain,  395. 
Georgia,  131   et  seq. 
Getty,  General,  230,  262. 
Gettysburg,  206-211,   213,   215,  217, 

257,  261,  263,  265,  267  et  seq.,  408 

et  seq. 

Gibbon,  General,  226,  356. 
Giles,  J.,  210. 
Glendale,  187. 
Godwin,  D.,  210. 
Gordon,  General  J.  B.,  276,  277. 
Gordonsville,  221. 
Gossett,  I.  W.,  206. 
Gracie,  General,  383. 
Grammer,  J.,  210. 
Grant,  General  U.  S.,  8,  59,  60,  84, 

85,  341-   344.   348,   349,   35*,   353~ 
356,   372,   384-386,   403,  407,   428. 

Grattan,  Captain,  405. 

Graves,  E.  E.,  4. 

Gray,  Captain  R.,  103, 

Gregg,  General,  265. 

Green,  W.  E.,  121,  398. 


434 


INDEX. 


Greene,  G.  S.,  291. 
Greene,  O.  D.,  129. 
Griggs,  G.  K.,  210. 
Grigsby,  General,  200,  201. 

H 

Hagerstown,  195,  196. 
Halleck,  General,  191,  200,  256,  261. 
Hambrick,  Colonel,  348. 
Hamilton,  A.,  139,  141. 
Hampton,  W.,  165,  166,  294. 
Hancock,   General  W.  S.,  228,  230, 

277-279,  281,  288,  295,  356. 
Hardie,  J.  A.,  261. 
Harney,  General,  in,  112,  426. 
Haro  Archipelago,  105,  107. 
Harper's  Ferry,  195-198. 
Harris,  Colonel  D.  B.,  339. 
Harris,  Lieutenant,  398. 
Harrison,  A.  T.,  210. 
Harrison,  W.,    179,    206,    293,    317, 

3i8,  339,  340,  347,  398,  406. 
Hartford  Convention,  143. 
Hatton,  General,  165. 
Hayes,  R.  B.,  197. 
Haygood,  General,  342. 
Hays,  General,  277,  290. 
Hazlett,  Captain,  286. 
Heckman,  General,  348. 
Heintzelman,  General,  163-165. 
Hempston,  R.,  206. 
Henry's  Battery,  243,  297. 
Henry,  Patrick,  132. 
Herbert,  A.,  210,  398. 
Heth,   General,  258,   265,   271,   272, 

274,  276,   280,   295,   300,  355,  382, 

397,  400. 

Higginson,  T.  W.,  135. 
High  Bridge,  207. 
Hill,  A.  P.,  157,   158,    176,  178,  186, 

188,  192,  196,   203,   215,   225,  226, 


233,  257,  259,  262,  264,  265,  271, 
272,  275,  277,  281,  283,  285,  289- 
290,  294,  297,  310,  355,  385,  400. 

Hill,  D.  H.,  155-157,  163,  164,  166- 
169,  188,  195,  201,  224-226,  244. 

Hodges,  J.  G.,  210,  263,  398. 

Hodgkin,  Dr.  J.  B.,  191. 

Hoke,   General,    277,    290,    331-334, 

339,  347,  354- 

Hood,  General  J.  B.,  165,  167,  168, 

179,  185,  193.    199,   201,   217,  223, 

225,  226,  230,   233,   236,   239,  243, 

260,  280,  282,  283,   285,   286,  294, 

37i. 
Hooker,  J.,   188,   196,    199-202,  217, 

220,   222,   224,  230,  231,   241-249, 

257-261,  263,  264. 
Howard,  General,  230,  244,  246,  274, 

275,  281,  290,  295. 
Huger,  General,   156,    163,  164,  187, 

188,  205,  214,  405. 
Humphreys,  General,  231,  288,  297. 
Hunt,  General,  228,  265. 
Hunter,  R.  M.  T.,  372,  373. 
Hunton,   Colonel  E.,   179,   187-189, 

191,  210,  217,   218,   337,  349,  354, 

380,  383,  389,  393,  395-397,  4°o. 

I 

Idaho,  100. 

Imboden,  General,  259,  260,  293,  312. 
Indians,  97,  113. 
Indian  War,  97. 
Ingalls,  R.,  23,  24,  84,  358. 
Irby,  Colonel,  159. 
Iverson,  General,  275,  276. 

J 

Jackson,  T.  J.,  96,  155,  175,  178, 
179,  182,  186-188,  191-193,  195- 

201,   212,    219,    223,    225,   226,    244, 

246-248. 


INDEX. 


435 


Jefferson,  Joe,  74. 
Jefferson,  Thos.,   132,  139,  142,  144 
Jenkins,  General  M.,  187,    196,  202 
205,  217,  233,   236,   239,  259,  262- 

264,  293,  317. 
Johnson,  B.,  381,  393. 

Johnson,  General  Edward,  262,  264 

265,  277,  283,  291,  296. 
Johnston,  A.,  126,  320. 
Johnston,  J.E.,  93,  95,  154-157,  163- 

167,  170,  175,  385,  398,  403. 
Joinville,  Prince  de,  181. 
Jones,  D.  R.,  155,  199,  202. 
Jones,  H.,  398. 
Jones,  J.  H.,  354. 
Jones,  S.,  257,  260. 

K 

Kautz,  General,  384,  395,  396. 

Kean,  Charles,  74. 

Kearny,  General  Phil.,  188,  193. 

Keenan,  Major,  246. 

Keene,  E.  F.,  211. 

Kemper,  General  W.  L.,  177,  179, 
186,  193,  205,  208,  209,  214-216, 
233-234.  237-  295,  300,  304,  347. 

Kentucky  resolutions,  141,  145. 

Kernstown,  212. 

Kershaw,  General,  230,  354.  355. 

Keyes,  General,  163-165,  262. 

Kilpatrick,  General,  265,  294. 

Kirby,  General,  165. 

L 

Lafayette,  207. 
Lane,  General,  305. 
Langhorne,  M.  S.,  210,  398. 
Last  review,  375. 
Latham,  Captain,  208. 
Lawton,  General,  200,  201. 
Lee,  F.,  n,  192,   199,  355,  380,  382, 
388,  393-395- 


Lee,  R.  E.,  n,  92,  136,  156,  175, 
178,  179,  183,  185,  190,  191,  194, 
J95.  197.  199,  203,  204,  221-223, 
225,  229,  232,  236,  239,  241-245, 
247,  249,  254-264,  266,  270,  272, 
277,  278,  280-284,  289,  290,  293- 
296,  298,  310-313,  333,  338,  348, 
350,  351,  354.  355.  36:,  379-381, 
385.  386,  393,  402,  403,  421. 

Lee,  S.  D.,  193,  199,  203. 

Lee,  W.  H.  F.,  u,  221,  382-384, 
388,  391-395- 

"Lee's  Miserables, "  358. 

Leitch,  S.  G.,  206,  398. 

Lewis,  M.  M.,  206,  398,  406. 

Lincoln,  A.,  i,  8,  30,  126-128,  204,  • 
241-243,  249,  254,  344,  372-373. 
408,  412. 

Linthicum,  C.  S.,  354. 

Logan,  Colonel,  347. 

Long,  A.  L.,  257. 

Longstreet,  J.  A.,  94,  95,  155-158, 
163-165,  167,  179,  185,  187,  iS8, 
190-193,  195  196,  198,  199,  202, 
203,  205,  208,  214,  215,  217,  219, 

222,    223,  230,     232-237,     239,     243, 

257-260,  262,     263,     272,    277,     278, 

281-283,  285,     289,     290,     294-296, 

300-302,  310-312,     316,     318,     319, 

324.   325.  349.  350.   354.  38o,   392, 

397.  426. 

"Lost  Order,"  195. 
Louisiana  Tigers,  290. 
Lynchburg,  208,  209. 
Lyons,  Judge,  5. 

M 

McAlpine,  J.  A.,  206. 
McCall,  General,  188. 
McCandless,  General,  288. 
McCauly,  Corporal,  95. 


436 


INDEX. 


McCausland,  General,  388. 
McClellan,  G.  B.,  154,  155,  157,  163, 

175,    176,  177,    181-183,   185,  195, 

196,  199,  200,  219,  220,  354,  425. 
McGowan,  General,  383. 
Mclntosh,  General,  203,  271. 
MacKenzie,  General,  384. 
McKinley,  President,  4ig. 
McLane,  109.- 
McLaws,  General  L.,  163,  195-197, 

201,   219,   222-223,  225,   227,   230, 

236,   243,   249,   260,  280,  283,  287, 

288,  294. 

McMillan,  Colonel,  223. 
McPhail,  Captain,  203. 
Macon,  M.  C.,  207. 
Madison,  James,    142-143,    145,  146. 
Magruder,  Colonel,  398. 
Magruder,    General   J.    B.,   93,   96, 

155,  156,  207,  211,  214. 
Mahone,  General,  169,  350,  380,  404. 
Maish,  Surgeon,  188. 
Malvern  Hill,  190,  208,  210,  214. 
Manassas,  191  et  seq.,  208,  209,  215. 
Manning,  Captain,  161. 
Mansfield,  General,  200,  201. 
Marshall,  Lieutenant,  208. 
Marshall,  Judge,  132. 
Martin,  General,  334. 
Martinsburg,  195,  196. 
Marye,  L.  S.,  207. 
Marye,  M.,  210,  398. 
Maury,  R.  L.,  210. 
Mayo,  J.,  209. 

Mayo,  Colonel  R.,  5,   188,  394,  398. 
Meade,  D.,  206,   226,   244,  261,  265, 

270,  27i,  274,  279-284.  295,  303, 

356. 

Meagher,  General  T.  F.,  183,  228- 

230,  287. 
Meredith,  General,  273-275. 


Meredith;  Judge,  5. 
Mexican  War,  90  et  seq. 
Mexico,  City  of,  91,  95,  96,  129. 
Milroy,  General,  259. 
Molino  del  Rey,  94,  95,  129. 
Montague,  E.  B.,  210,  398. 
Monterey,  91. 
Montezuma,  94. 
Mumford,  Colonel,  396. 

N 

Napoleon,  102,  104,  142,  231. 
Napoleon  III.,  251. 
Newbern  report,  333  et  seq. 
Newton,  General,  281. 
Nootka  Sound,  100. 
Nootka  treaty,  102. 
Nullification,  144. 

O 

Oglethorpe,  J.,  131. 
O'Neal,  General,  275. 
Oregon,  97  et  seq. ,  426. 
Orizaba,  91. 
O'Rourke,  P.,  286. 
Otey,  K.,  210,  398. 
Owens,  J.,  210. 

P 

Patton,  W.  T.,  209,  398. 
Peace  Commission,  372  et  seq. 
Pegram,  Colonel,  271,  382,  389,  391, 

393,  396. 
Pender,  General,  265,  271,  276,  280, 

283,  288,  295,  300. 
Pendleton,  General,   257,  310,  312, 

366. 

Perry,  General,  289. 
Petersburg,  337~344»  4°°- 
Pettigrew,   General,  165,  271,   274, 

276,  295,  300,  305,  411. 
Peyton,  Colonel,  398. 


INDEX. 


437 


Philadelphia  Brigade,  409  et  seq. 

Phillips,  Colonel  J.  J.,  210,  298,  317, 
320,  398. 

Phillips,  Dr.  J.  T.,  320,  339. 

Phillips,  W.,  136. 

Pickett,  Major  C.,  22,  158,  159,  161, 
167,  169,  189,  206,  398. 

Pickett,  G.  E.,  90-98,  in,  112,  114, 
115,  117,  120,  123  et  seq.,  129, 
150,  154,  157,  158,  167,  170,  176, 
177,  179-182,  185-191,  193,  196, 
198,  202,  203,  205-209,  213-219, 
225,  226,  230,  234-239,  243,  260, 
263,  280,  283,  293-313,  315-329, 
331,  333,  336-345  et  seq. ,  353,  355, 
359,  362,  363,  365,  37i,  374,  375 
et  seq.,  379  et  seq.,  386  et  seq., 
399-407,  408,  413,  425. 

Pitt,  101. 

Platt,  Dr.,  321. 

Pleasanton,  A.,  219,  231,  246,  247, 
258,  260,  284. 

Plymouth,  206. 

Polk,  President,  215. 

Pope,  General,  191-194. 

Porter,  General,  163,  178,  183,  193, 
204. 

Preston,  R.  T.,  154,  180,  398. 

Pryor,  General  R.,  159-161,  168, 
169,  209. 

Q 

Quincy,  J.,  142. 
Quitman,  General,  96. 

R 

Randolph,  M.,  87. 
Randolph,  W.,  87. 
Randolph,  Secretary  of  War,  182. 
Ransom,    General,    222,    225,    230, 

339,  347,  348,  382,  388-395,  397, 

400. 


Reid,  331. 
Reid,  Mayne,  96. 
Reno,  General,  196,  197. 
Reynolds,  General,    259,    265,  272, 

273,  281. 

Richards,  Captain,  108,  120. 
Richardson,  General,  202,  310,  312 
Richmond,  i  et  seq.,  86,  87,  170  et 

seq.,  400,  402,  403. 
Ricketts,  General,  201,  290. 
Robertson,  General,  192,  257,  285. 
Rodes,  General,  201,  202,  244,  262V 

264,  265,  274,  275,  277,  283,  291. 
Rodman,  General,  202. 
Rosario  Strait,  105,  108-110. 
Rosecrans,  General,  256. 
Rosser,  General,  u,  382,  383,  388, 

393- 

Rupert,  Prince,  99,  105,  106. 
Rust,  A.,  210. 
Rutherford,  J.,  207. 
Ryals,  J.,  206. 


Sailor's  Creek,  217,  218,  399-407. 

Salem,  192. 

Saltillo,  91. 

San  Antonio,  129,  212. 

Sanborn,  F.  B.,  135. 

San  Cosme,  96. 

San   Juan,    23,    105-121,    426,    427. 

San  Juan  de  Ulloa,  91. 

Santa  Anna,  92,  93,  96. 

Saunders,  B.,  76. 

Savage  Station,  184. 

Scales,  General,  305. 

Schimmelpfennig,  General,  275,  276, 

Schurz,  General  C.,  275. 

Scott,  R.  T.,  206,  398. 

Scott,  W.  S.,  90-92,  96,  112,  121. 

Secession,  139  et  seq. 


438 


INDEX. 


Sedgwick,   General,   165,   188,   201, 

245,  248,  249,  265,  281,  295. 
Seven  Pines,   162  et  seq.,   175,  209, 

214,  217. 

Seward,  Secretary,  372,  373. 
Shaw,  Colonel,  332. 
Shenandoah,  176. 
Sheridan,  Phil.,  350,  354,  376,  381, 

384  et  seq.,  403-405,  407. 
Sherman,  E.  A.,  90,  95. 
Sherman,  W.  T.,  60,  371. 
Sickles,  General,  244,  247,  248,  275, 

279,  281,  283,  284,  287,  291,  294, 

295- 

Sigel,  General,  241. 
Simpson,  R.  H.,  349. 
Skinner,  F.  G.,  209. 
Slaughter,  P.  P.,  175,  180,  211,  398. 
Slavery,  130  et  seq. 
Slocum,  General,  188,  244,  246,  261, 

279,  281,  291. 
Smith,  Captain,  360. 
Smith,  General,  276. 
Smith,  G.  W.,  155,  156,  163-166. 
Smith,W.  F.,354,  356. 
Snelling,  J.  G.  S.,  88,  94. 
Sorrel,  G.  M.,  161,  180. 
South  Mountain,  195,  196. 
Spain,  250. 

Stanton,  Secretary,  59. 
Stearns,  G.  L.,  135. 
Steinwehr,  General,  277,  381. 
Stephens,  Alexander,  372,  373. 
Stevens,  A.  H.,  4,  6,  7. 
Stevens,  Colonel,  290,  348. 
Stevens,  Governor,  427. 
Stewart,  General,  406. 
Stone,  General,  274,  276. 
Stoneman,  General,  243. 
Strange,  J.  R.,  154*  J59,  170,  180, 

188,  189,  197,  210,  218,  398. 


Stribling,  R.  M.,  208,  238,  239. 
Stuart,  J.  E.  B.,  191,  192,  197,  208, 

219,  248,  257-261,  265,  294. 
Stuart,  W.  D.,  175,  203,  206,  211, 

380,  388-391,  393,  395,  398. 
Stultz,  G.,  206. 
Sturgis,  General,  202,  230. 
Suckley,  Dr.  George,  14,  19,  22,  23, 

24,  26. 

Suffolk,  208,  209,  236. 
Sullivan,  I.  E.,  208. 
Sumner,   General  E.  V.,  163,   165, 

201,  220-222,   224,  230,  231,   242. 

Sykes,  General,  245,  281,  286,  295. 
Symington,  W.  S.,  189,  206,  398. 


Taliaferro,  General,  192,  225,  226. 
Taylor,    General  Z.,   91,   192,   214, 

215- 

Taylor,  W.  H.,  363,  393,  398. 
Terry,  General,  210,  331,  337,  339, 

347,  348,  380,  383,  384,  388,  390, 

393-398,  406. 

Texas,  90,  96,  129  147,  212,  426. 
Thompson,  A.,  371. 
Thoroughfare  Gap,  192. 
Tomlin,  H.  B.,  210. 
Toombs,  General,  202,  208. 
Tree,  Ellen,  73. 
Trimble,  General,  244,  295,300,  302, 

305- 

Turkey  Island,  8,  86  et  seq.,  208. 
Turner's  Gap,  196,  197. 
Twiggs,  General,  93. 
Tyler,  Dr.,  366. 
Tyler,  President,  214. 

U 

Underwriter,  335. 
Utrecht,  treaty  of,  102. 


INDEX. 


439 


Vancouver's  Island, ioo, 105, 107-1 10. 

Velasco,  93. 

Vera  Cruz,  90-92,  95,  129. 

Vincent,  General,  286. 

Virginia  resolutions,  141. 

W 
Wadsworth,  General,  273,  277,  281, 

291. 
Walker,    General   J.    G.,    155,    195, 

198,  201. 
Wallace,  T.  P.,  206,  382,  388,  389, 

391-396. 

Walter,  Colonel,  170. 
Walton,  General,  227. 
Warren,  General,  285,  286,  356,  383, 

384,  388,  389,391,  395,  396. 
Waterloo  Bridge,  191. 
Watts,  W.,  210. 
Weed,  General,  199,  286. 
Weiderick,  General,  290. 
Weitzel,  General,  4. 


Wessells,  General,  337. 

White,  W.,  210,  398. 

White  House,  184,  262. 

Whitford,  333. 

Whiting,    General,    165,    179,    180, 

182,  186,  346-349. 
Whitlock,  J.,  206. 
Wilcox,  General,  155,  157-159,  169, 

289,  295,  302,  397,  400. 
Wilderness,  353,  356. 
Williams,  A.  W.,  206. 
Williams,  L.  B.,  209. 
Williamsburg,  154  et  seg.,  175,  215. 
Wise,  General,  342,  383,  405. 
Withers,  Colonel  R.  E.,  154,    ivo, 

179,  180,  210,  398. 
Wood,  R.  T.,  331,  333-335- 
Wright,  General,  202,  289,  311. 


York,  257. 
Yorktown,  156,  262. 
Young,  363. 


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